Fading Literature: Delhi’s Famed Urdu Bazaar on Last Legs

The Once-Bustling Streets of Urdu Bazaar

DELHI: In the bustling heart of Old Delhi, Indian bookseller Mohammed Mahfooz Alam sits forlorn in his quiet store, among the last few selling literature in a language beloved by poets for centuries.

A Rich History

Urdu, spoken by many millions today, has a rich past that reflects how cultures melded to forge India’s complex history.

Challenges in Promoting the Language

But its literature has been subsumed by the cultural domination of Hindi, struggling against false perceptions that its elegant Perso-Arabic script makes it a foreign import and a language of Muslims in the Hindu-majority nation.

The Decline of Urdu Bazaar

The narrow streets of Urdu Bazaar, in the shadow of the 400-year-old Jama Masjid mosque, were once the core of the city’s Urdu literary community, a centre of printing, publishing and writing.

Today, streets once crowded with Urdu bookstores abuzz with scholars debating literature are now thick with the aroma of sizzling kebabs from the restaurants that have replaced them.

Dying ‘Day by Day’

Urdu, one of the 22 languages enshrined under India’s constitution, is the mother tongue of at least 50 million people in the world’s most populous country. Millions more speak it, as well as in neighbouring Pakistan.

But while Urdu is largely understood by speakers of India’s most popular language Hindi, their scripts are entirely different.

Alam says he can see Urdu literature dying “day by day”.

The Maktaba Jamia Bookshop

The Maktaba Jamia bookshop he manages opened a century ago. Alam took over its running this year driven by his love for the language.

“I have been sitting since morning, and barely four people have come,” he said gloomily. “And even those were college or school-going children who want their study books.”

A Language with a Rich History

Urdu, sharing Hindi’s roots and mingled with words from Persian and Arabic, emerged as a hybrid speech between those who came to India through trade and conquest – and the people they settled down amongst.

Challenges in its Use

But Urdu has faced challenges in being viewed as connected to Islamic culture, a popular perception that has grown since the Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of Prime Minister Narendra Modi took power in 2014.

Hard-right Hindu nationalists seeking to diminish Islam’s place in India’s history have opposed its use: in the past decade, protests have ranged from the use of Urdu in clothing advertisements to even graffiti.

‘Feel the Beauty’

For centuries, Urdu was a key language of governance.

Sellers first set up stores in the Urdu Bazaar in the 1920s, selling stacks of books from literature to religion, politics and history — as well as texts in Arabic and Persian.

The Future of Urdu Bazaar

By the 1980s, more lucrative fast-food restaurants slowly moved in, but the trade dropped dramatically in the past decade, with more than a dozen bookshops shutting down.

“With the advent of the internet, everything became easily available on the mobile phone,” said Sikander Mirza Changezi, who co-founded a library to promote Urdu in Old Delhi in 1993.

“People started thinking buying books is useless, and this hit the income of booksellers and publishers, and they switched to other businesses.”

The Hazrat Shah Waliullah Public Library

The Hazrat Shah Waliullah Public Library, which Changezi helped create, houses thousands of books including rare manuscripts and dictionaries.

It is aimed at promoting the Urdu language.

A New Generation of Learners

Student Adeeba Tanveer, 27, who has a masters degree in Urdu, said the library provided a space for those wanting to learn.

“The love for Urdu is slowly coming back,” Tanveer told AFP, adding that her non-Muslim friends were also keen to learn.

“It is such a beautiful language,” she said. “You feel the beauty when you speak it.”

Conclusion

The once-thriving Urdu Bazaar is now on the brink of extinction, with only a handful of bookstores remaining. The language itself is also struggling to gain recognition, with many perceiving it as a foreign import or a language of Muslims. However, there is hope for its revival, as a new generation of learners is emerging, and efforts are being made to promote the language.

FAQs

Q: What is the current state of Urdu Bazaar?

A: Urdu Bazaar is on the brink of extinction, with only a handful of bookstores remaining.

Q: Why is Urdu struggling to gain recognition?

A: Urdu is perceived as a foreign import or a language of Muslims, leading to a lack of recognition and support.

Q: What is being done to promote Urdu?

A: Efforts are being made to promote Urdu through libraries, bookshops, and online resources, as well as through education and cultural initiatives.

Q: Is there hope for the future of Urdu?

A: Yes, there is hope for the future of Urdu, as a new generation of learners is emerging, and efforts are being made to promote the language and its culture.