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Syncretic Culture


The Club of Hindi and Urdu Poets (CHUP) at Christ University, Bangalore organised the annual Sham-e-Gazal night on 25th February 2025 in the main auditorium, Central Campus. One by one, poets took the stage—some sang, others recited—bringing their verses to life. Urdu and Hindi, often unjustly viewed as symbols of religious division, intertwined effortlessly in the voices of the performers, creating a shared space of artistic expression. The words of Allama Iqbal came to mind: "Kaahil baste rahe, Hindustan banta raha" (The idle kept settling, and Hindustan kept being built). 

Poet Raghupati Sahay, popularly known to the world of poetry as Firaq Gorakhpuri imbibed the spirit of Hindustan. He was an English professor, who wrote mostly in Urdu and in Hindi. Throughout his life, he tried to dispel the notion that a language is linked to one religion but belongs to anyone who learnt and spoke the language. Yet, the legacy of Partition has fueled the mistaken belief that Urdu belongs to Pakistan and Hindi to India. This oversimplification contradicts the Indian Constitution, which recognizes and promotes all Indian languages, including Urdu.

The resonance of that poetic evening lingers, especially as language politics once again dominate public discourse. The increasing prioritization of Hindi by the central leadership has sparked resistance, particularly in the southern states. Instead of celebrating India's linguistic diversity, political leaders engage in competitive one-upmanship. Language, at its core, is a bridge—a means of connection, not a tool for division.

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