DEPARTMENT OF URDU
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HISTORY
The Department of Urdu under Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit has been functioning since 1995 at the Regional Centre, Koyilandy. It is noteworthy that this is the only institution in Kerala where PG courses in Urdu being offered, and research facilities are made available. Hence all the Urdu students of Kerala resort to this University for higher studies. We are proud to note that twenty one batches of PG students have come off with flying colours so far and have succeeded in securing jobs. The number of students seeking admission in the department is more than the intake capacity of the department. When Urdu at UG level was introduced from 2002 onwards in the University, the majority of the students who sought admission into the course were non-Muslims, which reminds us of the pre-independence heyday of the Urdu language that was studies buy all the Indians irrespective of caste and creed. It throws light upon the century-old composite Indian culture and secular nature, which the Indians have fostered all through their lives.
The above fact establishes that the University has successfully endeavored to foster liberal-minded attitude to promote Catholic outlook by introducing Urdu in the university. No doubt it makes Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, Kalady an example for other Indian universities.
ACHIEVEMENTS
More than 35 students of this department have so far passed UGC-NET. Moreover more than hundred students have succeeded in the SET. Almost all of them have succeeded in securing jobs in different fields including the Mass Media.
BOOKS AND JOURNALS
The library is equipped with a variety of standard and valuable books consisting of around 6000 number of books. Another noteworthy fact that can be proudly recorded here is that we subscribe to 49 standard Literary Journals published from different parts of the country.
The department conducted ‘Shastrayan’ programme under the joint auspices of Rashtriya Ucchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) and the Government of Kerala on 20th and 21st February 2018 during which the department placed on exhibition all the documented papers and researches so far carried out in the department. Apart from this, we imparted information about the Urdu language and its cultural aspects.
FUTURE PLANS
The Department contemplates starting certain courses such as Certificate and Diploma Courses and organizing Seminars and Workshops apart from publications and project work from other agencies. We also envisage interdisciplinary studies in Sanskrit, Philosophy, History and Malayalam by adopting Credit System Methods capitalizing on information technology to the possible extent. The activities of the department have out and out convinced the people with the fact that Urdu is not the language of any particular class or sect; on the contrary, it is the language of the masses and one of the major modern Indian Languages.
RESEARCH
Research at Ph.D. level started in 1995. Eight Scholars have been awarded the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy so far and few are engaged in their research. M.Phil course was introduced in 2005. Since then 38 Scholars have successfully completed their courses. Urdu is not a spoken language in Kerala therefore the position of Urdu in Kerala is that of a cultural language helping to fortify National integration and helping to promote communal amity among the people. And it is indeed the need of the time in the present age. With that fact in view, the department has given much importance to comparative studies, esp. with reference to Malayalam language and literature.
Some of the Theses for which degree have been awarded are: 1. A comparative study of the works of Thomas Hardy and Munshi Premchand. 2. A comparative study of Dr. Nazeer Ahmed and O. Chandu Menon’s Novels 3. A comparative study of the thoughs of Mohammed Iqbal and Ahmed Shouqi are examples for the above – stated facts. In the first thesis, the intrinsic values of patriotism, brotherhood, national integration, tolerance and humanism are highlighted; in the second thesis, two different cultural and linguistic similarities and dissimilarities are highlighted by comparing the works of the first Urdu and Malayalam novelists. The third thesis deals with the thoughts of two eminent poets of two major languages of the world belonging to two remote linguistic families.
Another conspicuous work carried out in the department is on the impact of partition of India in the works of Manto and his contemporary short stories writers. The thesis captioned ‘Zulaikha Hussain ba haisiyath Novelnigar’ is also a noted work as it is a study of the works of Zulaikha Hussain, who is considered the sole women Urdu writer in Kerala who has profusely contributed to the enrichment of Urdu literature.