SUGGESTIONS FROM ANJUMN-E-TARRA
 QUI-E-URDU, ANDHRA PRADESH
 

The Anjuman Tarraqqi Urdu, Andhra Pradesh, has suggested that in areas of the State where at least 10 per cent of the population has claimed Urdu as its principle language, the following arrangements should be made :

(i) Important laws, rules, regulations and notifications including electoral rolls, electricity and water supply bills, ration cards etc. should be issued in Urdu also.

(ii) The use of Urdu should be permitted by pleaders in courts and plaints, petitions, appeals and affidavits should be accepted if preferred in Urdu. Urdu translations of judgements and awards should be made available on demand from parties. Evidence should be recorded in Urdu and read out to the witness in Urdu for his/her confirmation.

(iii) The Zila Parishads, panchayat samitis and other local bodies should record their proceeding in Urdu also when members speak in that language.

(iv) Offices of Talukas and Districts should have full facilities for the Urdu-speaking public.

(v) Urdu-medium classes should be opened in primary and secondary schools, irrespective of the simultaneous demand by 10 or 15 pupils for admission, which is sometimes impractical also. Urdu teachers should be trained and Urdu text-books published, The teaching of languages in schools should be so arranged as not to place the burden of learning a fourth language on the pupils.

(vi) Urdu-speaking boys and girls should be in a position to adopt Urdu as medium of instruction at the college and university level also.

(vii) Sign-boards on all official buildings should display the names of officers etc. in Urdu also.

(viii) In the matter of recruitment to administrative and executive posts the Anjuman wants the Urdu-speaking candidates to be required to possess merely working knowledge of Telugu and proficiency should not be insisted upon. At, least some of those whose mother-tongue is not Urdu, must also possess working knowledge of Urdu, if the rights of Urdu- speaking people to be heard by the administration in that language are to be real and not illusory. Where necessary translators should be appointed.

(ix) Although the legislators are permitted to speak in Urdu and put their questions and interpellations in Urdu and certain bills and such documents as Governor's speech, budget speech etc. are also circulated in Urdu, there is still need to supply all the bills, ordinances, rules and regulations etc. issued by the Government in Urdu too. Answer to Urdu interpellations given in English or Telugu should be given in Urdu as far as possible. The entire Government Gazette which is only partly published in Urdu, should be published in Urdu also.

In conclusion, the Anjuman wants that all the rights granted to Urdu to have legal backing so that the aggrieved party may, if necessary, have recourse to law to secure redress.