Even as the debate over Rama Sethu continues in the entire country, a Muslim girl has written Hanuman Chalisa in Urdu script.She is a student of Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth. Naznin, who hails from Varanasi (Benares) plans to write Goswami Tulsidas' Ramcharit Manas in Urdu as well.
Though it is not an astonishing feat as she has mere written it in Perso-Arabic script though there are translations of almost all the Hindu texts in Urdu.
In undivided India, in UP and Punjab, Hindu literature was sold much more in numbers in Urdu script than in Hindi. For centuries Hindus and Muslims have lived in this country together and there is a long history of shared composite culture. This is not rare for Hindus and Muslims to celebrate each others' festivals and respect the culture of the other community.
The channels often make too much of such initiatives and give an impression as if Hindus and Muslims are absolutely different groups of people who won't keep aloof from each other. Still, the effort is laudable on the girl's part.
