NEW DELHI: Journalist Rohinee Singh has defied linguistic barriers by authoring a book in Urdu, chronicling her journey of learning the language and discovering its deep cultural significance.
Her book, Urdu Main Mera Doosra Janam, highlights Urdu’s inclusive essence, challenging the notion that it belongs to a particular religion.
Singh’s achievement comes at a time when Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath recently made disparaging remarks about Urdu in Lucknow, a city known as the heart of the language.
Her book reinforces Urdu’s role as a unifying force, deeply embedded in the Ganga-Jamuni civilization which has long symbolized India’s pluralistic traditions.
Coming from a Sikh family that migrated from undivided Punjab to Jharkhand, Singh did not grow up in an Urdu-speaking environment. While her grandfather was fluent in the language and read the Guru Granth Sahib in the Urdu script, it gradually faded from her household over generations.
However, memories of watching her grandfather read in Urdu left a lasting impression. What started as curiosity evolved into a determined effort to learn the language. After multiple unsuccessful attempts, she finally enrolled in a diploma program at the National Council for the Promotion of Urdu Language (NCPUL) in New Delhi.
For Singh, learning Urdu became essential while researching Sikh history and the life of Guru Nanak. Many historical manuscripts and texts related to Sikhism are in Urdu, and she felt that relying on translations was insufficient. To engage with these sources in their original form, she immersed herself in the language, embracing its lyrical beauty and literary richness.
Urdu has often been perceived as belonging to a particular community, despite its deep-rooted presence in India’s literary and cultural heritage. Singh’s journey challenges this misconception, proving that Urdu is a shared linguistic and cultural legacy.
"Urdu is the language of love, poetry, and history. It belongs to all of us. I hope my book inspires others like me—those who once had Urdu as part of their heritage but lost touch with it over time. Learning Urdu was like finding a lost part of myself," says Singh.
Her book captures the poetic grace and emotional depth of Urdu, reaffirming its enduring connection to India’s diverse traditions.
A seasoned journalist, Singh has worked with India Today, The Indian Express, DNA and Zee Media.
She also contributes blogs and opinion pieces to Deutsche Welle Urdu Service (Germany), The Wire (Urdu), and The Friday Times (Pakistan), making her a significant voice in contemporary discourse.
With the publication of Urdu Main Mera Doosra Janam by Educational Publishing House, Singh joins a growing number of authors revitalizing Urdu literature. Her story underscores that Urdu is not just surviving — it is thriving, embraced by new generations in unexpected places.
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