Prime Minister of India - Dr. Manmohan Singh

"Government will promote Urdu": P. M.

The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, here today launched world's first Urdu e-paper, a digital replica of the Siasat Urdu newspaper published from Hyderabad and Bangalore.

Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister said that Urdu is very much the part of Indian culture. He said that the Government would do everything possible for the development of the language as emphasized in the Common Minimum Programme. Quoting Poet Iqbal, he said:

"Mit gaye mishr, yoonan aur roma

Lekin kayam hai ab tak namo nishan hamara;

Kutch bat hai ki hasti mitthi nahin hamari

Sadiyon raha hai dushman, douren jama hamara."

The Prime Minister said that as long as the country went along with its eternal values, there would not be any danger to the unity and integrity of the country. Urdu journalism has an important role in ensuring this, he added.