Missing Urdu: Architecture college students to study city signboards

Chandigarh College of Architecture (CCA) has planned to conduct a study on the white cemented signboards in the city that carry directions in different languages.

The college authorities on Wednesday said a students’ group will be formed that will study the signages in order to raise the issue of Urdu language, which has been missing from almost all the signboards.

The students will make an analysis report, which will be submitted to the UT administration later, suggesting as to what could be done to bring back the language on the signboards.

HT had highlighted the issue that how only a few signboards in the city carry directions in the Urdu language at present, but the UT administration is clueless of the fact that why and how the language got dropped.

Principal of the college Professor Pardeep Bhagat said, “The objective of conducting the survey is to know that how many signboards are installed across the city and how many of them still carry directions in all four languages. After which, we will be able to analyse the locations where we need more signboards and what could be done to bring back the lost language back on the signboards.”

“We cannot find such unique signboards anywhere across the country, so ideally the UT administration should rather take care of it and should bring back Urdu on all signboards. This will not only preserve the city’s heritage, but also promote a language that has lost its relevance.”

Meanwhile, chairperson of the Urdu department, Panjab University, Madhukar Arya said, “In early 90s, Punjab and Haryana Urdu Academy had constituted a committee to raise the issue of having Urdu language on the signboards in the city. Initially, I remember that all signboards had directions in three languages, including Hindi, English and Urdu, but with time, after a reorganisation Act was introduced and Chandigarh became the capital of Punjab and Haryana, it was decided that the directions on the signboards be written in Punjabi as well.”

“Later, there was not enough space to accommodate written directions in four languages on the signboards and considering the fact that not many people in the city know Urdu, the language got dropped from a majority of them,” Arya added.

He also said on behalf of the department, he will request the administration to reintroduce the signboards with all four languages.

Earlier, mayor Poonam Sharma had said there is no reason that Urdu should be dropped from signboards and all four languages should be respected, while UT advisor Vijay Dev had stated that the MC and the engineering department will be told to reintroduce the language on the signboards.