Row over cleric's appointment as Karnataka Urdu Academy chairman

Bengaluru: The state government’s decision to appoint a Muslim cleric to the Karnataka Urdu Academy has ruffled many a feather. 

Retired IPS officer Khaleel Mamoon, a former chairman of the academy, has shot off a letter to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, expressing “astonishment” at the appointment of Maulana Mohammad Ali Qazi as the academy’s new head. 

Mamoon, a former Inspector General of Police, argued that the decision runs against the rich legacy of Urdu literature, which is “inherently secular”. 

He dispelled social media posts that the decision would help the Congress government get Muslim votes in the Lok Sabha elections. 

A well-placed source described the appointment as “Islamisation” of language and culture. “The new chairman has no connection with Urdu literature,” the source pointed out. 

According to the source, the appointment was finalised by Muslim legislators at the behest of Sayed Tanveer Hashmi, a Sufi leader from Vijayapura. 

Urdu playwright and the dialogue writer for Malgudi Days Zafer Mohiuddin said: “Urdu is a syncretic language. Many of its great poets have been Hindus and Sikhs, such as Munshi Premchand, Raghupati Sahay Firaq Gorakhpuri and Sampooran Singh Kalra Gulzar. In Karnataka, we had such worthies as Muddanna Manzar, Siddaiah Puranik, Dharam Singh and Raj Premi. It’s a pity that the academy doesn’t have a non-Muslim member.” 

He also called for reverting the academy to the Kannada and Culture Department. The erstwhile BJP government had shifted the academy to the Minorities Welfare Department. 

When contacted by DH, Qazi declined to comment on Mamoon’s letter but argued that his reputation as a religious scholar didn’t mean he had no connection with the Urdu language. “Maulana Hasrat Mohani, Maulana Shibli Nomani and other Ulema have been Urdu poets and writers,” he said. 

The academy undertakes various programmes for Urdu’s promotion, including conducting Mushaira (poetic sessions), giving scholarships and awarding poets and writers.  It has been allocated Rs 1.5 crore in the state budget for 2024-25.