Hindu organisation’s demand to remove Urdu from railway station signboards fuels fears of cultural erasure among Indian Muslims, as Urdu remains a vital part of India’s rich linguistic heritage embraced by millions.
NEW DELHI — India’s long-standing diversity is once again under threat as a Hindu organisation has raised objections against the use of Urdu on railway station signboards. The Rashtriya Sanatan Mahasangh, a right-wing Hindu group, has demanded that the names of railway stations be displayed only in Hindi, rejecting the presence of Urdu on public signboards.
Thie move has stirred widespread concern not only among the Indian Muslim community but also among Urdu lovers in non-Muslim population as Urdu adab is nurtured by many Hindu writers in the past . They see the demand as an attack on a language that is part of India’s shared cultural heritage.
Kaushal Kishore, the national president of Rashtriya Sanatan Mahasangh, wrote a letter to the Central Railways expressing his opposition. “When I see the names of stations written in Urdu, it gives me the feeling of an Islamic city. The names should be in Hindi alone,” he said. Kishore’s statement has drawn sharp criticism from Urdu speakers and scholars, who stress that Urdu is not an alien language but one that originated in India and continues to be spoken by millions across the country and the subcontinent.
India’s railway stations traditionally display names in three languages: Hindi, English, and Urdu. This practice reflects India’s rich linguistic variety and the government’s efforts to recognise languages that many Indians understand and speak. The demand to remove Urdu undermines this inclusiveness and threatens to isolate a large community that identifies with the language.
Dr Amina Qureshi, a language scholar from Delhi University, explained, “Urdu is deeply rooted in India’s history and culture. It was born here and grew alongside Hindi and other Indian languages. To call it foreign or remove it from public spaces is to erase a part of our own identity.” She added, “Urdu is a bridge between communities and removing it will only deepen divisions.”
The controversy over Urdu is not new. India has witnessed the renaming of roads, places, and institutions with Urdu names in recent years. Muslim communities have often felt targeted by these actions, which seem to ignore the fact that Urdu is part of the nation’s cultural fabric. Many Indian states have been created based on language, recognising the importance of linguistic identity for people’s rights and dignity.
Maqbool Ahmed, a resident of Lucknow, where Urdu has a strong historical presence, said, “Urdu is our mother tongue and part of our daily lives. This kind of objection by a Hindu group hurts us deeply. It feels like an attempt to erase our existence.” He urged the government to protect Urdu and ensure that the language continues to be visible and respected in public spaces.
The Rashtriya Sanatan Mahasangh’s demand is seen by many as part of a broader pattern of intolerance towards Muslims and their culture in India. Urdu, often wrongly associated only with Muslims, is in reality a language shared by people of different communities. Removing Urdu from official signs may fuel communal tensions and undermine India’s secular ethos.
Public opinion among many citizens supports the presence of Urdu on railway stations. Rafiq Khan, a shopkeeper in Hyderabad, said, “We live in a country where many languages exist side by side. Urdu is one of them, and it should be respected. It is wrong to say that Urdu is only linked to Islam or Muslims. It belongs to everyone.”
The Ministry of Railways has not yet responded officially to the letter from Rashtriya Sanatan Mahasangh. However, activists are urging the government to reject any attempt to remove Urdu names from railway stations or public places. They argue that India’s strength lies in its diversity and that languages like Urdu should be celebrated, not pushed aside.
Anwar Hussain, a human rights activist from Mumbai, stated, “The objection to Urdu on railway signs is not just about language, it is about the respect and dignity of millions of Indian Muslims. We hope the government will stand firm and protect the rights of all communities.”
India has always been proud of its pluralism, with many religions, languages, and cultures living together. The current opposition to Urdu is a worrying sign of growing divisions. It is important for the nation to remember that tolerance and respect for all languages, including Urdu, is essential to maintain harmony.
The demand by a Hindu organisation to remove Urdu from railway station names is more than a linguistic issue; it is a challenge to India’s pluralistic identity. Urdu remains a vital link for millions of Indian Muslims and others who cherish the language as part of their heritage. Removing it would not only alienate a significant section of society but also go against the spirit of unity in diversity that India stands for.
