More women included in Urdu Academy

NEW DELHI: The Delhi government has reconstituted the Urdu Academy with more female members to make it “dynamic”.

The new committee appointed for a period of two years brings together a diverse range of people associated with the language, like scholars, media professionals, historians and social media influencers.

“Urdu is an integral part of Delhi’s cultural and literary history. It is an important marker of Delhi’s composite culture,” Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said.

“The government hopes to create an environment for Urdu that will not only ensure that the language is well-preserved but that it also advances linguistically and socially. With this dynamic general body committee we are sure to create an unprecedented impact,” he added.

The new committee will be chaired by well-known scholar Jamia Professor Wajeehuddin; Nasheet Shadani, an advertising professional whose web initiative ‘Ishq Urdu’ works to connect youth to the language using pop culture references; Rana Safvi, another member runs the popular blog ‘Hazrat e Dilli’, about Delhi’s culture, heritage and traditions; Kamna Prasad, an Urdu activist and founder of the ‘Jashn e Bahar’ Foundation.

“A conscious effort towards inclusivity has been made and there has been an unprecedented rise in the number of female members of the Urdu Academy. The academy will work with contemporary practitioners to improve and bring forth interesting and thought provoking content,” an official statement said.

Aparna Pande a member of the Rekhta team is the youngest member of the committee. Other members include filmmaker Riazat Ullah Khan, teacher and social worker Irtiza Querishi and journalist Faisal Ali.