NCPUL demands recognition of Urdu as second national language

Patna, Jul 29 (UNI) Bihar unit of National Council for the Promotion of Urdu Language (NCPUL) has urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to declare Urdu as the second national language.

Council secretary Abdul Qaiyyum Ansari said here today he had written a letter to the prime minister in this regard and requested him to take steps for nurturing Urdu as it was an effective mode of communication among millions of people cutting across the religious barriers.

''The Centre should open more Urdu universities on the pattern of National Open University,'' he demanded, adding that steps should be initiated for recruitment of Urdu teachers in Navoday Vidyalaya and other senior secondary schools across the nation.

The introduction of Urdu department in Indira Gandhi National Open University would go a long way to cater to the needs of millions of people having a quest for Urdu literature, he added.

UNI