Mumbai: Urdu Markaz, an organisation dedicated to promoting and preserving the Urdu language, announced the revival of its activities at a ceremony on Friday attended by prominent personalities from Mumbai’s academic, literary and cultural circles.
Established two decades ago, the organisation has been conducting the Bhendi Bazaar Urdu Festival, the latest edition of which was held in 2025.
Presiding over the ceremony, educationist Professor Zahra Modak paid tribute to Urdu Markaz’s longstanding contribution to Urdu language and literature. She said its revival was not merely about reopening a building or library, but about restoring an important academic and literary institution dedicated to the language.
Speakers recalled the institution’s legacy and stressed the need to revitalise its academic and literary activities. They described its revival as a positive step towards strengthening the promotion of Urdu.
MLAs Amin Patel and Rais Shaikh, along with municipal councillor Javed Juneja, welcomed the reopening of Urdu Markaz.
Chief guest Professor Syed Iqbal urged female students and young people to develop a deeper connection with Urdu. He said genuine appreciation for the language required people to read, write and speak it, while actively contributing to its promotion. He also stressed the need to use the institution as a platform for the intellectual, educational and literary development of the younger generation.
Urdu Markaz director Advocate Zubair Azmi, Farid Ahmed Khan, president of Urdu Karwan; Saeed Ahmed Khan; Dr Nasreen Shaikh, principal of Khilafat B.Ed. College; Saira B. Khan, principal of R.C.D. Education College, Imambada; Shabana Vanu, principal of Khilafat D.Ed. College; and social activist Shabana Khan also addressed the gathering.
Speakers called for developing Urdu Markaz into an active centre for language and literature, research, reading and literary activities. They expressed hope that the institution would build on its academic and literary traditions and encourage a stronger engagement with Urdu among younger generations.
A large number of personalities from Mumbai’s academic, literary, educational and social circles attended the ceremony, expressing confidence that the revived institution would play a significant role in preserving and promoting Urdu.
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