Saudi Gazette Report DAMMAM — Due to its emphasis on softness, politeness and propriety, Urdu has always been considered an elevated, somewhat aristocratic or even elitist language and when compared with the others, there is a perception of the richness and the sweetness of the language. It continues to conjure a special, suave and polished effect on the linguistic and literary sensibilities of the audience and thus continues to be preferred for not only daily communication but also for song writing and poetry. The numerous successful Hindi film songs bear testimony to the ready acceptance of Urdu by the masses. Unfortunately, the recent years has seen a steady decline in the usage of Urdu. At times, it has been felt that the glory of Urdu has been lost forever. Fearing the decadence, efforts have been made to revive the language. One such effort is the Idrak Urdu Toastmasters Club in Jubail, where on Friday, Urdu flowed at its sublime best, as speakers demonstrated the beauty of the language in terms of its smooth flow and sweet flavor that made this language a favorite of the discerning as well as the masses. Speaking at the occasion, Chief Guest Syed Abdallah Rizvi said that the growth of any language is based on its usage. Usage can be determined by the enthusiasm of those who speak and promote the language. He urged all mothers present to take the driver seat in reviving Urdu language. “For Urdu to sustain and survive, all mothers should guide their children to speak only in Urdu at the dining table,” he opined. He also emphasized the need for listening to pure and chaste Urdu using social media. “Words that are heard get embedded in the brain and when spoken later, the correct pronunciation and diction is followed,” he stated. His observations were echoed by IIS Jubail School Principal Dr. Syed Hameed, who accentuated the need for developing LSRW skills for mastering any language, which stands for first developing Listening skills, then Speaking, Reading and Writing in that order. The function was presided by Idrak Urdu Toastmasters Club President Anis Bakhsh, who stressed on the need for charity activities that can lead to making people stand on their feet. The education segment of the program had prepared speeches by Abdullah Khalili, Mohammed Anasuddin and Mohammed Saleem. This was followed by table topics session conducted by club sponsor Asif Siddiqui and Evaluation session conducted by Dammam Toastmasters club President Ziaurrehman Siddiqui where Mufeeduzzaman, Naved Hussain and DTM Jamil Akhter were evaluators. The program also had an entertainment session of Urdu poetry, which was handled by veteran poet Saeed Muntazir. Distinguished guests present on the occasion were Division L Director Venkat Devrajan, Area Directors VCS Nair and Abdullah Khalili, Toastmasters Ambassador Syed Waheed Lateef, Club mentor Safi Jannaty, IIS Jubail school committee chairman Tahir Mohiuddin, IISJ Management Committee members Ateequrrehman, Naseeruddin Ansari and Budda Raju and IIS Jubail vice Principal Dr. Naushad Ali. Senior Toastmaster and Division E Director for Program quality DTM Aziz Siddiqui was the master of ceremonies. President Anis Bakhsh and VP Mofizuzzaman thanked the organizing team comprising of Aziz Siddiqui, Asif A. Siddiqui, Mufidduzaman, Wais Quarni, Mohd Irshad, Jameel Akhtar, Navaid Khan, Rizwanullah, Khursheed Anwar, Mohd Alam, Farooque Patel and special thanks to Dammam Urdu Club team for their valuable support.
