The right-wing appears to think the language as a foreign import but history shows quite the opposite.
Such attacks on Urdu, many believe, is part of a larger push to marginalise India's Muslim population.
"That severing may serve the current government's interests, but it is a cruel denial of heritage for everyone else."The BBC tried to reach out to three BJP leaders in connection with this story but met with no response. Opponents of the language say that Urdu belongs to Muslims whereas Hindus only speak Hindi. But history and lived experiences show quite the opposite.
This 'Urdu' was not seen as a Muslim language, as it is today, but had a class element - it was the tongue spoken by the elite of north India, which included Hindus as well. "So both the languages rest on a shared grammatical base," Dr Rai explains, "but both Hindi and Urdu have also for political reasons developed myths of origin" .
The division was strengthened under British rule, who began to identify Hindi with Hindus, and Urdu with Muslims. But the portrayal of Urdu as foreign is also not new in right-wing discourse.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Why do we have lips, and why is sugar sticky? Try our kids’ quizFive multiple-choice questions – set by children – to test your knowledge, and a chance to submit your own junior brain-teasers for future quizzes
Read more »
Cost of living: Why some countries have lower energy bills than the UKIn some countries, households are paying far less for the cost of heating their homes. Sky News looks at where bills are lower and how energy policies compare with the UK.
Read more »
Why fashionistas are reselling designer clothes, not hoarding themIf you’re interested in chaos theory, consider how the rise of second-hand shopping might affect rents in Monaco, where the principality’s biggest spenders used
Read more »
Why the BBC’s new Sally Rooney adaptation is an epic failThe writer’s debut, ‘Conversations with Friends’, is her fans’ favourite, but we’re locked out of what makes the novel relatable and Joe Alwyn is miscast, says Jessie Thompson
Read more »
Why Italy’s borrowing costs are surging once againNervous technocrats in Rome will be keeping their fingers crossed that the ECB may not have to raise interest rates too much
Read more »
Why an Indian couple is suing son over grandchildrenA son is duty-bound to look after parents but must he deliver grandchildren too?
Read more »