I don't know what you are complaining about. Urdu newspapers and tv channels are thriving day by day. There is hardly any English on tv. Nothing against Urdu but it is so hard to write and express.

I am yet to see a tv host or a talk show where they can speak in proper Urdu. This is considered to be more of a fashion than a requirement. Our dear Meerra is one such example, who despite blunders never gives up on English!

Lovely! What you describe is true in India as well, except that about 70% of our population lives in rural areas and still speaks primarily Hindi and other Indian languages. Duniya mein aage barhna hai toh English ke bina guzaara mushkil hai. I don't know about Pakistan, but in urban India 'Hindi' is generally uncool, 'foreign' is generally cool. That's why we speak English, encourage our children to speak English, read English novels, travel to Thailand instead of Kerala and Kashmir. I didn't get the last part in the video - what's the meaning of 'maine socha, kya qaabil khaatoon hai'?

I get the meaning of 'maine socha, kya qabil khatoon hai' and now I think the video is so sexist :) Jimmy bashes Pakistanis for favouring English over Urdu, and then goes on to say the woman is 'capable' because she speaks English. Tobah tobah :)

Cannot appreciate more! Language is a major form of communication. If we are not able to communicate well in these sensitive times we are putting ourselves to even quicker demise in terms of identity! (I cannot write in Urdu here else I would have written it in my own language).

jimmy aap sochtey tu bohat acha hai magar kuch amal bhee kartey hain kiya?

Love it..

My wife is French. We live in France. We have a three year old kid. She speaks only French. The mother speaks French with her, I speak completely in Urdu with her. While she is learning English at school. The kid understands English and Urdu perfectly but chooses to talk in French because of the environment. However, my advice to all these parents who want their kid to learn their language, shouldn't give up or get frustrated. For example, I don't speak really good French, just workable. It gets tough at times when the kid doesn't understand what I am saying in Urdu and I don't understand her speaking in French but with the help of gestures and pointing and examples, we get along. In the beginning she was trying to defy me by correcting my Urdu via her French. For example I would tell her that an apple is called "saib" in Urdu, she will tell me "Non. Pomme". I figured a way around it. I started saying, "Mama isay pomme kehti hain aur baba isay saib kehtai hain." She picked up the difference of the languages and which in turn helped with English when she started school, that this is a third language. So far so good.

@Sonal: It means "What an educated Lady, I thought"

Don't know much about Urdu, but English grew up as a trade language, used to ease communication between the Anglo-Saxons, the Vikings in the English Danelaw, and the Norman French, so three different languages in a small area. English excels in pinning down exact time, expenses, amount, responsibility, delivery, etc, and is primarily concerned about accuracy. I have acquaintances from many countries who are multilinguistic and work in banking, and they universally prefer to conduct business in English. Also, being derived from three languages and absorbing much of Latin and Greek, it is possible in English to derive at least five shades of meaning from most concepts. In my experience, it is much more difficult to lie or prevaricate in English than in Spanish, French, Italian, or Catalan. I do love hearing my South Asian friends converse in Urdu or Hindi, it sounds very beautiful.

@Imran: Wow - I'm very impressed by your determination. Tr

My heart became Garden Garden with your suggestion, hence I tried!

@Sonal: I don't know which part of India you're talking about? Where i come from, Hindi is considered cool. And so is Marathi. Probably the Hindi belt like to speak English as a cool language, the southies love to speak their own language, so I wonder what English you're talking about.

Akhbaar aur blogs bhi english main hi parhtey hain.

Very good effort Jimmy! You have voiced the sentiments of all Urdu Lovers! Hope to receive more nudges from you every week

I agree with you about Urdu. I am only a beginner in Urdu but I believe that one's native language is more important than any other. It is part of your identity. Learning foreign languages are also important too, but they are secondary to a "madri zaban". (If I have that right) Anyone who has read translations of Faiz, Iqbal and other Urdu poets cannot say that any other language is more superior. Every language has something to offer but no one should ever be ashamed of their own language. I think it is the uneducated who do not know anything of the heritage of their own country who shy away from Urdu. Any Urdu speaker who knows English should also recognise some Urdu words that have been incorporated into the language. Often when I have heard Pakistanis speak Urdu I have heard English words and asked "Why do you use English words, you must have a word for that." They say they do but don't use it. If they think it shows that they are educated, I think they are wrong. Better to speak pure Urdu and pure English. Not a pidgin variety of the two.

@Imran: My children learn english and french in school. We live in Canada. I do not force Urdu on them (it is useless for them). They live in Canada and do not need Urdu to suceed in the envoirnment. The fact is even if I force Urdu on them, it will be short lived as their children would not be learning it anyways. I do, however, learn and now teach them classical Arabic, not only reading as people do in Pakistan. In fact the whole Arabic grammer with root words and their context, so they completely understand the quran when they read it in its original 'Fussha language'. This is going to be the success for them. On another note, Canada is becoming the Mecca for Arabic language as per Dr. Abdur Rahim of Medina University. My two cents.

The really universal language is ... music. "If it could be expressed in speech, I wouldn't need to make music. So I make music." (Gustav Mahler, composer) Joe .

why should a sarakai learn urdu?

Love the idea! Keep 'em coming!!!

Spot on Jimmy!

@Sonal: Aap ladies sirf sexist main hi phansey (stuck) rehna. Ghoom phir ke wohi baat.

Your attempt to resurrect Urdu is commendable.It is becoming 'extinct' as you say. So much that our relationships have even are turned into English. We no more hear 'chacha', 'chuchchi' but uncle and auntie. No more 'chalees' but forty. In most cases, 'thank you" and not 'shukriya'.

Against all odds, my family and I have made every effort that our kids communicate in Urdu and Alhumdulilah they do great. Recently, the kids were visiting Pakistan, I inquired my wife if they were practicing their Urdu there. She responded that none of their cousins speak in Urdu, in fact, they get surprised with appreciation from elders. What is happening to us Pakistanis?

@investor: Ladies ki baat nahi hai - I was only teasing, but it did seem like a contradiction to me, though amusing too.

@rich: I was talking about the Indian equivalent of what Jimmy said in the video. I grew up in Bombay, so I speak Hindi / Marathi, but it wasn't considered cool at work, in school, etc. South Indians are more likely to speak English in addition to their native language than Hindi...and somewhat true for Bengalis too...and perhaps other states. Tamils will stare you in the face (and even get confrontational) if you express surprise at them not speaking Hindi. And despite knowing Hindi, a lot of educated urban Indians don't speak proper Hindi. I don't remember the last time I heard someone say "yahaa kitna pradooshan hai" for pollution, after I stopped studying Hindi in Class X. Or "mujhe aapse vaartalaap karni thi" for conversation. Not saying that Hindi is uncool...I would hate if my kids didn't speak it, but I'm not sure I'd force them to learn how to read and write it...it's been practically of no use to me.

Jimmy thinks good but sadly still thinks limited.