Urdu academy functioning flayed

Solapur is the second biggest centre of Urdu after Malegaon and has more than 200 Urdu medium schools and colleges. But it does not feature in the award list.

Noted poet and litterateur Basheer Parwaz has flayed the `dictatorial’ style of functioning of the MSUA and expressed unhappiness over the omission of Solapur at every level.He lamented that the MSUA was being used by political personalities to further their vested interests instead of uplifting the Urdu language.

“The MSUA was established for the progress of the language, but is now a puppet in the hands of a few leaders who are totally ignorant about the language,” he said.

He charged the MSUA with favouritism, favouring litterateurs, mainly from Mumbai or within its own circle. “Any Urdu-speaking person will say that the awards announced by the MSUA in the presence of Pramod Navalkar did not serve the language,” Parwaz said. While stalwarts like Ali Sardar Jafri, Nida Fazli and Kaifi Azmi did receive awards every year, “it seems a few are made for the MSUA only”.

For instance, he said, Mehmood Ayubi has done nothing for the language, but his name figured in the award list. When this was challenged in the presence of Pramod Navalkar, Yamin Farooqui had no answer, he said.

He lambasted the saffron government for neglecting the district while selecting members for the MSUA from all over the State. “Not a single person from Solapur has been included on the board of directors,” he lamented.

Noted poet A. Rasheed Janwalkar feels that the MSUA should give equal aid to the every district to promote literary activities at grassroot level.