Tom Alter: A Whiteman Who Wrote and Spoke Impeccable Urdu
By
Sumit Paul, New Age Islam
29
September 2022
In these times of linguistic chauvinism and Urdu being branded as the language of Muslims, I often remember actor and lover of Urdu, Tom Alter whose death anniversary falls on September 29. He shuffled off the mortal coil 5 years ago.
I remember,
when he departed, I wrote a tribute, Aap Mujhe Farsi Sikhayenge? The
Tribune, Chandigarh carried my article. I still rue that I couldn't teach him
Persian.
Tom Alter
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A
fascinating character, who loved to converse in Urdu and would jot down Asha'ar
in his cursive Nastaliq, Tom Alter was perhaps the most enthusiastic and
serious lover of Urdu, I've ever met in life.
His love
and fondness for Urdu language was exemplary and a lesson to those who fret
over languages.
In these
times, when most of the people are inarticulate in all languages, Tom's example
can be an eye-opener.
Son of
American missionaries, Tom wrote and spoke Urdu better than many Muslims who
proudly call themselves Ahle-Zabaan.
A stickler
for linguistic purity, Tom was a veritable purist who'd be irritated to hear
the most obnoxious Punjabi-Bambiya Hindi syntax such as, 'Aap Kaise Ho'
or 'Aap Khaana Khaa Lo' and would correct, please say, 'Aap Kaise HAIN'
and 'Aap Khaana Khaa Leejiye.'
He once
told me, ' Hindi Aur Urdu Zabanein Roman Rasmul-Khat Mein Likhi Hi Nahin Jaa
Sakteen' (Urdu and Hindi cannot be written in Roman script). He'd often
ask, पहचान Lafz Ko Aap Roman Mein 'Pehcaan'
Kaise Likh Sakte Hain? 'Pahchaan' Likhiye, 'Pehchaan' Nahin. कहते Ko
KAHTE Likhiye, KEHTE Nahin. He had a perfect sense of transliteration (Naql-Harfi in Urdu
and Lipyantaran in Hindi). Apropos, I also feel pukish when people ask me, Aap
Kya Kar Rahe Ho or Aap Kab Aaoge? I always correct them: Aap Kya Kar
Rahe HAIN or Aap Kab Aayenge?
I've read and heard about Sir Hamilton Gibb
(Laudian Professor of Arabic at Oxford) and Reynold K Nicholson ( Professor of
Persian at Cambridge who taught Dr Muhammad Iqbal) conversing in native Arabic
and Persian respectively and correcting Persian and Arabic of the native
speakers. Tom was like them. He politely corrected Hindi and Urdu of people,
but never condescended. He'd often ruefully comment, ' Ek Bhi Zabaan Theek
Se Likhi-Boli Nahin Jaati. ‘I found his spoken Urdu to be better than that
of the legendary English scholar of Urdu, Ralph Russell. By the way, the
Englishman Russell, who passed away in 2008, was the greatest western authority
on Mirza Ghalib.
Whether it was Ghalib, Sahir or Azad, Tom
enacted all characters with aplomb and always read his script in Urdu. His Sheen/Qaaf,
Ain/ Ghain were just perfect.
He didn't like frivolity and never used a Cellphone
in his whole life. He had an aversion to mobile phones.
Very few people are aware that he was a Sahab-e-Deewan
and wrote poetry in Urdu. His famous couplet is often quoted by the
connoisseurs of Urdu poetry: 'Chahat Ke Angaron Ko Sulagte Hi Rahne Do/
Kahin Ek Lamhe Ki Phoonk Se Aag Na Lag Jaaye.'
Rare are such dedicated people nowadays.
Lovers of Urdu language remember Tom in these horrific and linguistically
abysmal times, when all languages have gone to dogs and no one cares for the
nuances and finesse of any language.
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A
regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative
religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to
world's premier publications in several languages including Persian.
URL: https://newageislam.com/interfaith-dialogue/tom-alter-whiteman-urdu/d/128060
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