(RE)KINDLING NASTALIQ
REKHTA FOUNDATION HAS TAKEN ON THE TASK OF DIGITISING URDU MANUSCRIPTS AND MAKING THEM AVAILABLE
While the third edition of the annual Urdu festival—Jashn-eRekhta—was met with considerable excitement and large crowds in Delhi last week, the legacy of this language is under threat. Government support is waning. Last year, the National Council for Promotion of Urdu Literature changed its rules, saying those seeking funds for research would have to sign a declaration that no ‘anti-national’
writing would be promoted. Even the NEET—a national entrance test for undergraduate studies in Medicine—recently dropped a provision allowing for the exam to be taken in Urdu. Fortunately for Urdu lovers, the Rekhta Foundation, which organised the Delhi festival, has also taken on the task
of digitising Urdu manuscripts and making them available online—for free. So far, the foundation has uploaded 25,000 e-books, in collaboration with 13 major collections across the country. These include public libraries in Lucknow, Delhi, Rampur, Allahabad, Hyderabad and Patna as well as private collections like the Naval Kishore Press. The publications span over two centuries, and include poetry, fiction, science texts and law books; there is even a section on textbooks for students from deprived backgrounds.
“We did face some hurdles such as worries over copyright issues,” says Rekha founder Sanjiv Saraf. “But as people started benefitting from easy access to the material, institutions started coming forward themselves.” There are even instances of scholars requesting specific documents from the organisation—which then tries to locate copies. The foundation’s team also boasts several retired academics and writers. Dr Anisur Rahman, retired from Jamia Millia Islamia, says, “It’s important to recognise that the technology of knowledge dissemination has changed and to turn to electronic modes of preservation.”