Urdu's Dark Knight
Sanjiv Saraf popularises the
language of poetry through his website and an annual festival that became a
crowd-puller in the first edition
Sanjiv Saraf demolishes several
stereotypes. For instance, the idea that Urdu is a language that is cherished
only by Muslims; that if you are rich, your idea of leisure has to revolve
around race tracks and auctions; or that the Urdu language belongs to the older
generation.
For Saraf, rescuing Urdu
from neglect and popularising it is his life's mission. It is also something he
attends to with the kind of taste the poetic language deserves. The Rekhta
website he has created is perhaps the largest available online resource on the
language. It is also extremely user-friendly with multiple mechanisms of
translation.
The Essence Within
Saraf belongs to Rajasthan
and grew up speaking Hindi. Over time the businessman acquired a taste for Urdu
poetry and ghazals. Urdu sort of grew on him and, four years ago, Saraf hired a
tutor and learnt the language including the script. “Everybody loves Urdu
because of its rhythm, cadence, softness and sophistication,“ says the bearded
man at his tastefully designed and furnished home.
According to Saraf, “the
postulate of linking Urdu with Islam is fundamentally a flawed conception“.
“Urdu was born here in India. It developed here. In no other country in the
world do you have Urdu.There is so much of Hindi in Urdu,“ he adds.
The reason behind the
popularity of the language is the use of simple words that convey more. The
words initiate a deeper connect with the person to whom the words are
addressed. “Urdu is a language of love. But unfortunately now it is deemed to
be the language of the invaders. It is not. Urdu poetry is capable of conveying
so much in so few words,“ Saraf concedes.
In March, he organised the
Jashn-e-Rekhta festival for the first time. The festival includes dastangoi
(story-telling), plays, mushaira, qawwali, ghazal, singing, discussions,
baitbaazi (Urdu poetry competition), calligraphy workshops, lectures,
exhibitions and poetry readings. “We were expecting a crowd of around 2,000
people but 18,000 turned up.“
The festival organisers
were surprised to see a huge crowd of youngsters who participated in the festival.
“They came on motorbikes and sat on the floor. There were all sorts of people
who came from every kind of age group and background.It was anything but an
only-Muslim programme.“ That the younger generation has an interest in Urdu was
a revelation. For the first time in years, there is now an understanding that
the reason behind the slow death of the language was the lack of patronage and
not the want for an audience.
The mood therefore, for the
first time in years, is upbeat as poets, writers, scholars and connoisseurs of
the language have now found a place to meet up and exchange ideas.In 2016, the
festival will be held at the IGNCA in February and names such as Gulzar, Javed
Akhtar as well as a host of singers from Pakistan such as Tina Sani and Rafaqat
Ali Khan along with celebrity poets from the neighbouring country are expected
to participate.“We have got extremely good support from the ministry of
external affairs and the minister concerned Sushma Swaraj in particular.“
For her part, Swaraj gave
it back in style in Parliament to those who criticised her for speaking in Urdu
on her recent visit to Pakistan. “I would like to tell those people that Urdu
is also my country's language,“ the external affairs minister said in
parliament.
Retrieving the Language
Actress Nandita Das who
supports the Rekhta initiative says that being part of the festival means a lot
to those interested in poetry. “It was most heart-warming to be at the
festival. There were a lot of young people and to think that Urdu was considered
the language of an older generation. Every session was packed.“ Das says that
Saraf 's initiative is extremely significant as the language needs to be
revived. “The language we normally speak is Hindustani as there are a lot of
Urdu words used in it. We have made Urdu a Muslim language whereas a language
belongs to a region.“
Das adds that India needs
to reclaim many such languages that are dying. “Sanjiv belongs to a Marwari
business family. It is his love for the language that has prompted him to start
the festival. He did not even take sponsorship for the project,“ says Das.
Justice Markandey Katju
says that in India the two languages that define the country are both
neglected: Urdu and Sanskrit.“Urdu used to be the common language of all
educated people in India till 1947. The revival of Urdu is as important as the
revival of Sanskrit. Reviving these languages is very important, if the nation
is to progress,“ says Justice Katju. “Urdu was the language of free thinkers;
the poetry was often about voicing protest against injustice and inhumanity.“
|
KP Narayana Kumar
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ETM27DEC15
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