Twitter users start #shameUPSC hashtag campaign to protest exclusion of Arabic, Persian from UPSC during Congress-led UPA regime

The momentum is building to protest Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) decision to remove the classical languages--Arabic, Persian and Pali, from the civil services.

There are tweets about the importance of these languages apart.

The Twitterati forwarded and Re-tweeted (RTd) these messages, causing a stir on the internet.

The hashtags #shameUPSC & #restoreArabicPersianPaliinUPSC were initiated to protest the mindless move on social networking website, Twitter.

Historical documents including papers during the 1857 revolution against British are mostly in Persian. Legendary freedom fighters like Tatya Tope's communication is also in the language. Persian was also official language of princely states ruled by Hindu Rajas and Muslim kings [Nawabs].

Also, there is huge amount of literature in Persian in India. Legendary Indian poets like Bedil and Ghalib wrote in Persian. India has kept Persian in its original form. Pali is one of the oldest languages in India. There are old texts and Buddhist literature in Pali. Arabic is taught across India.

There are madarsas and Darul-Ulooms apart from departments of these languages in dozens of universities in India. There are Arabic-Persian Universities in India like Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti University in Lucknow which has come up recently and the Mazharul Haq Arabic Persian University in Bihar.

There are scores of other institutions too. The 'esteemed members' of UPSC board perhaps have no idea about the huge number of texts, manuscripts and literature in India in these languages.

Perhaps, a situation will come when we will be dependent on foreigners to translate our own works, and we won't be able to decipher them on our own.

Do you know all words that end with 'daar' are of Persian origin? The example is dunkan-dar, kiraye-dar.
Thousands of words like 'gul' [flower], aqalmand [intellect], dilkash [beautiful], khat [letter], aab [water], dil [heart], kitab [book], naan [bread], have come to us from Persian.

The movement aims at telling people the importance of these languages. Isn't Latin taught in Europe even today? Should we sever links to our past heritage? Earlier too UPSC tried to remove the languages in the early nineties. Now there is a fresh attempt.

Sadly, this is happening during the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) regime. The fact is that many people aren't aware of the heritage of nearly 1,000 years [many a millennia in the case of Pali]. We urge the President, the Prime Minister, the HRD ministry and Congress leaders to restore the languages.

The JNUSU led by Akbar Chawdhary also led a demonstration on the issue. The protesting students said that by this absurd yardstick, English, is also a foreign language.

Further, there are now growing voices against the controversial move that is hurting a large number of students.

If you want to be part of this movement. Do use the hashtags and tag politicians, important personalities, to inform them about your views. Force them to withdraw the whimsical decision, which shows badly on the members of UPSC who are supposed to know importance of our cultural heritage of thousands of years.

There have been protests on the ground. Now do act on internet as well.

#ShameUPSC
#restoreArabicPersianPaliinUPSC

See earlier post on this issue:
1. UPSC misuses autonomy, removes Arabic, Persian, Pali from civil services

See an important article:
1. The translations of Ramayana in Persian

UPSC misuses autonomy, UPA remains apathetic: Movement needed to restore Arabic, Persian, Pali in Civil Services

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The decision of Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to remove Arabic, Persian and Pali from the list of optional subjects in the civil services examination, has invited strong condemnation from across the country.

There is a vast literary treasure in India in these three languages that have the status of classical languages in the country.

There are million of books in libraries in these languages apart from revenue records in many states that are in Persian. Old historical structures and coins carry plaques in these languages.

In taking the decision to remove these languages, the UPSC has misused its autonomy. Unfortunately, it is the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) which is at the helm, when the decision has again been taken.

Nearly two decades back, there was a similar decision. After strong protests, the decision was revoked. Congress was the ruling party. PV Narsimha Rao was the prime minister then. Now it has happened once again. Why there is an effort to remove these languages from UPSC, the apex

The UPSC members have done great disservice to the nation with this act. They have shown their lack of awareness about Indian culture and history, when they decided to remove these languages from the list of optional subjects.

They also removed French, German and Russian. In fact, keeping Arabic, Persian and Pali in the same bracket, shows how the mandarins of the top body, seem tohave no idea about the extent of literature these classical languages has and how much important it is for India.

Already, we don't have enough students taking languages in universities.

With diminishing options, the Arabic, Persian and Pali departments in universities in the country, will be severely affected.

It will be a big loss for our heritage.

There will perhaps be a situation when there will be more experts of these languages outside the country, than here.

DP Agarwal is the chairman of the UPSC. The commission has ten members viz. Rajni Razdan, Venkatarami Reddy Y, Alka Sirohi, David R Syimlieh, Manbir Singh, Amar Pratap Singh, DK Dewan, Vinay Mittal, P Kilemsungla, Chhatar Singh.

It beats the brains how these 'intellectuals' took this insane decision. As far as Persian is concerned, India has preserved the original classical form of the language. Not just Mughals, hundreds of princely states used it as an official language in 19th century and even later.

The texts, manuscripts are lying in libraries and archives departments and they will not be researchers, students, to decipher them. What a shame!

The UPSC is also playing with the future of students. Sadly, the UPA claims that it wants to increase job opportunities for Muslims, but under its tenure, the languages are being removed. Two of these languages give students of 'madarsas' the option to dream big.

In fact, several Muslims have taken Arabic and Persian as optional subjects and have cleared the examination to become IAS, IPS and IFS officers. Recently, teachers and students protested outside UPSC and the chairman had refused to meet their delegation.

United Muslims Front (UMF) held a major protest that was led by the front chief Shahid Ali.

The All India Association of Arabic Teachers & Scholars (AIAATS) in collaboration with the All India Persian Scholars’ Association (AIPSA) organized a symposium in Delhi on the issue, but now seminars are not required.

The need is for action. There have been protests in Lucknow and Allahabad. The issue is that UPSC's action is illogical and shows that its top officers have little idea about Indian history and have no focus on keeping the standards of learning in the universities.

It is time to condemn their decision, which is either due to prejudiced mindset or total lack of knowledge.
The need of the hour is to petition the President of India, whom UPSC annually submits its report. Also, write letters to Prime Minister, urge the MPs to take up the issue in the Parliament. If there is more delay, the decision may not be overturned.

Do act now.