New Delhi, Feb 21 (Indianmuslims.info) Urdu Academy Delhi, in a meeting of its Governing Council held at the residence of its chairman and chief minister of Delhi Sheila Dikshit here Tuesday, decided to bring out new books on the first war of Independence 1857 as well as publish new edition of such books in different languages. The Academy will also organise a seminar and convention on the subject.

“The seminar and convention will throw light on the role of Urdu, Delhi and the Delhiites in the 1857 war of Independence,� revealed vice chairman of the Academy Professor Qamar Rais.

Further elaborating the objective of the seminar, Professor Rais said the seminar also aims at acknowledging the contribution of Urdu journalists to the war.

“Four Urdu newspapers were published during those turbulent days of 1857 while there was no Hindi paper on the scene. These Urdu papers were covering the events and developments about the war so boldly that the then British rulers awarded capital punishment to three out of four editors of these papers,� he added.

Another programme of Urdu Academy marking the first war of Independence is granting the Academy’s Dara Shikoh Library status of a national library, and equipping it with good and rare books that can prove beneficial for research scholars.

The Academy also decided to increase the salary of part-time teachers of its 140 educational centres for Urdu certificate course and adult education from Rs. 1000 to Rs. 1500.

Yet another decision taken by the Academy is to increase the number of Urdu literacy centres, which is at present only 12, and to provide technical education for the students of these centres.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit assured that her government will appoint part-time Urdu translators in its various ministries. She however said creation of posts of regular Urdu translators will require enactment of a law and it will take time.