Lucknow, UTTAR PRADESH :

Lucknow:

Even though social media has acted as a boon for Urdu with growing attraction of youth towards the language through the medium, speakers at the International Urdu Conference at Lucknow University (LU) on Tuesday said there is need to protect the script as well.

Parveen Shujaat presenting her paper on Urdu and social media cited the example of websites, twitter handles, Facebook pages and WhatsApp groups. Additionally, Roman form of writing Urdu in English script, the speakers said, calls for a protection of the Urdu’s own script.

The conference also acted as a platform for appeal when attendees were urged to take up the issue of imparting Urdu at schools, with various school managements.

“If we talk of dwindling number of students taking up Urdu for higher education, we as parents need to make sure that at the primary level, schools teach Urdu,” said Waqar Rizvi.

Clarification: La Martiniere College is not the first English medium schools to offer Urdu as optional subject to students.

Schools like Lucknow Public collegiate (LPC) have introduced Urdu as an optional language for classes V to VIII.

On Tuesday, TOI had reported that La Martiniere College was the first English medium school in the city to offer Urdu course.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Lucknow / TNN / May 04th, 2016