Anwarul Hasan Sawati It is not easy for us to know when the human emerges from the veil of dust This verse of Mir Taqi Mir is applicable to those extraordinary personalities, one of whom is Alhaj Ghulam Sarwar. He was a revolutionary figure who left an indelible mark. Such multifaceted personalities are not born every day. When the eyes of the sun and moon are fixed for years and the sky revolves, then a visionary and revolutionary human being like Ghulam Sarwar emerges from the veil of dust. Alhaj Ghulam Sarwar was a great Urdu journalist, a reputable writer, a unique writer, a fiery orator, the leader of the Urdu movement, a well-known intellectual, and a seasoned politician. He proved his uniqueness in every field and drew a long line in his work that no one could match.
When he stepped into the field of journalism, he became a great journalist, and the Urdu daily "Sangam" published under his editorship became a nationally renowned newspaper. When he entered the field of literature, he was considered a unique writer. In the field of oratory, he was awarded the title of King of Oratory. In the field of politics, he proved to be a giant among politicians. He was an intellectual whose intellectualism was a matter of pride for the nation, and he was the spirit and leader of the Urdu movement. His great achievement for Urdu in Bihar is unforgettable. With the cooperation of his colleagues, he ran the Urdu movement in Bihar for about 25 years, resulting in Urdu being granted the status of the second official language in Bihar.
Although there were many companions and supporters of Alhaj Ghulam Sarwar in the Urdu movement, his close associates, including Syed Shah Mustaq Ahmed, Maulana Beatab Siddiqui, and Professor Abdul Maghni, are particularly notable. After Alhaj Ghulam Sarwar, Professor Abdul Maghni was the president of the Bihar State Urdu Development Association, and during his tenure, Urdu was granted the status of the second official language in Bihar in 1981. However, Professor Abdul Maghni always acknowledged Alhaj Ghulam Sarwar's services to Urdu and his successful leadership on every occasion.
In an article, Professor Abdul Maghni wrote about Alhaj Ghulam Sarwar's successful leadership of the Urdu movement in Bihar: "The movement in Bihar, which ultimately made Urdu the second official language of the state, was led by Ghulam Sarwar for a long time. This is no ordinary achievement; it is an exemplary event that has become a guiding light for the entire Urdu world in India." On January 10, 2001, a function was organized at the Bihar Urdu Academy, Patna, to celebrate Ghulam Sarwar's birthday as "Urdu Day." Professor Abdul Maghni also launched four books written by Ghulam Sarwar on this occasion.
Professor Abdul Maghni acknowledged Ghulam Sarwar's services to Urdu, saying, "Alhaj Ghulam Sarwar was our leader in the Urdu movement in Bihar. Our achievements regarding Urdu would be incomplete without mentioning his name. We worked together for a long time. When Ghulam Sarwar went to jail, I took care of his work outside and wrote editorials for 'Sangam'." Alhaj Ghulam Sarwar, who was present at the function, said in his speech, "I want to tell the historian of the time that Professor Abdul Maghni is currently the pride of the Urdu movement, and after I am gone, the flag of Urdu will remain in his hands. I entrust the torch of Urdu to Professor Abdul Maghni."
Unfortunately, Alhaj Ghulam Sarwar passed away in October 2004, and about two years later, in September 2006, Professor Abdul Maghni also left this world. Bihar's Urdu community was thus deprived of its two great benefactors. As Professor Hafeez Banarasi said, "Now we have neither a leader nor a destination. Where our heart has stopped, we have stopped." Ghulam Sarwar served the nation, especially Urdu, through literature, journalism, the Urdu movement, and politics, leaving an indelible mark in every field.
His services are too numerous to be covered in this brief article, but I would like to mention a few of his notable achievements. In 1951, he established the Bihar State Urdu Development Association. He presented a petition with about 10 lakh signatures to the President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, to grant Urdu the status of a regional language. In 1965, he organized a historic meeting of the Bihar State Urdu Development Association. In 1967, he made Urdu an election issue in the state elections. In 1972, he organized the All India Urdu Editors Conference in Patna to raise his voice for Urdu rights.
When he became the Minister of Education in the Karpoori Thakur government, he established the Bihar State Madrasa Education Board, recognized hundreds of madrasas, and increased the salaries of madrasa teachers. As the Speaker of the Bihar Assembly, he established the Urdu department in the legislative assembly and provided employment to dozens of Muslim youths. These are some of his historic and notable works that can never be ignored. Alhaj Ghulam Sarwar's date of birth is January 10, 1926. In the last years of his life, he started celebrating his birthday as "Urdu Day," with the aim of reminding Urdu lovers of his services to Urdu and inspiring them to follow in his footsteps.
There is a message for Urdu lovers, especially those associated with the Urdu movement, in Ghulam Sarwar's actions. We need to understand this message and work together to solve the problems of Urdu and protect our mother tongue. Alhaj Ghulam Sarwar may not be among us today, but the path he showed us is still available to guide us. Therefore, we, especially the new generation, need to learn from his life and follow the path he has shown us. This will be our true tribute to Alhaj Ghulam Sarwar. I would like to conclude my article with the following two couplets from a poem "Tribute" written by Abu Nasr Farooq Sarim Azimabadi in honor of Alhaj Ghulam Sarwar: Your existence is a guide for the youth, People like you remain alive even after death. Your name was Ghulam, and you were the creator It is our duty to pay tribute to you, O servant of Urdu.
