Sat Sep 14 18:15:54 UTC 2024: ## Akhilesh Yadav Honors Literary Figures, Calls for Fight Against Linguistic Communalism

**Lucknow, September 14:** On the occasion of Hindi Day, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav hosted a felicitation ceremony for prominent figures from the literary world at the party headquarters. The event saw renowned novelist Professor Abdul Bismillah advocating for a fight against “linguistic communalism.”

Bismillah, whose debut novel “Jhini-Jhini Beeni Chadariya” is considered a landmark in Hindi fiction, criticized the British for promoting a divide between Hindi and Urdu by associating them with Hindus and Muslims respectively. He firmly asserted that “there is no difference between Hindi and Urdu,” emphasizing the shared cultural heritage they represent.

Several other notable figures were also honored by Yadav, including former MP and poet Uday Pratap Singh, writer Virendra Yadav, and social worker Pramod Tyagi. Singh highlighted the lingering effects of the British-induced linguistic divide, emphasizing the importance of “Hindustani,” a blend of Hindi and Urdu advocated by Mahatma Gandhi and Maulana Azad. He added that Hindi is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world.

Virendra Yadav underscored the deep connection between the socialist movement and Hindi, referencing Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia’s campaign against English dominance in independent India. He further linked SP’s “PDA” (Backward, Dalit, Minority) slogan to Lohia’s ideology, stating that B.R. Ambedkar is also part of this philosophy.

The event witnessed the release of Tyagi’s book “Shapit Mahayodha Karna” and the presentation of a collection of songs titled “Aansoo Ki Sabha” by Gunveer Rana to Akhilesh Yadav.

The ceremony served as a platform for discussing the significance of Hindi language and its connection to social and political movements in India. It also highlighted the need to address linguistic communalism and promote unity in the cultural sphere.

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