He was addressing a seminar on the role of 'Urdu Media in Nation Building' here recently.

He said that Urdu media played an important role in nation building and the language inspired people to sacrifice for the country.

The seminar was organized on the occasion of launch of internet edition of the Urdu daily Jadid khabar.

Mr Singh said that he was laughed at when he initiated the work for Maulana Azad Urdu Open University and questioned the very objective of the university with skepticism. They thought that it would server no purpose. At that time he had said that the Urdu university would do what other universities are not doing. “Today I am glad that the MAOU not only flourishing in Hyderabad but also opening its branches in different part of the country,” he said.

He informed the gathring that his government had also given approval to Aligarh Muslim University to open five branches in different parts of the country.

Mr. Singh said, though Sachchar committee report made us shameful, yet 'I assure that the report will now be only a document of past as his government is doing all-round development of the minorities'.

Speaking on the occasion the Minister for Water resources Saifuddin Soz said that Urdu has an inner power to attract people. “It is the chastity of Urdu that Bollywood film have become so popular around the world”, he said.

He reminded that even Mahatma Gandhi had become so impressed by the slogans and speeches in Urdu that he started learning the language. “Urdu creates warmth in the heart of people”, he said .

Praising the role of a Malayalee Unnikrishnan Kutty who was head of UNI 15 years back, the noted Urdu journalist and the editor of the Calcutta based Azad Hind, Ahmad Sayeed Maleehabadi said this Malayalee fellow played an important role in establishment of UNI Urdu service. “He asked me for my support for Urdu service and I whole heartedly provided him all support and the Urdu service began” he said adding that the service has revolutionized the Urdu journalism.

He, however, said that Urdu journalism is facing the same predicaments as Muslims in the country as it has already reported in the Sachar committee report. He said that Urdu media was neither getting proper help from official advertising agencies nor the private companies.

Editor of the Jadid Khabar, Masoom Moradabadi said that Urdu journalism is not only a profession but a mission that is still live despite all sorts of diffculties#