Reading Urdu Roznama for A Lover of Urdu

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam

12 May 2026

While reading an Urdu roznama (newspaper) long ago, I stumbled upon a small ad: Zaroorat hai Urdu likhne, padhne wale ki (Required a person who can read and write Urdu). Intrigued, I read the small ad. One Poona-based octogenarian gentleman, Gurpreet Singh Walia, wanted someone who could read Urdu newspapers and magazines for him for a couple of hours every day. Remuneration was exceptionally good. His contact number was mentioned in the advertisement. I immediately called him up.

Mr Walia himself picked up the landline and asked me, " Aap abhi tashreef laa sakte hain? " (can you come right now?). I told him that I could come the next day. " Aap kal subah naashte par mil sakenge?, “he asked me politely. I said, sure. I wondered who was the gentleman who could speak such ultra-refined Urdu without the slightest accent of Punjabi as his name suggested that he was a Sikh.

I went to meet him the next day over a typically Punjabi sumptuous breakfast of aloo-gobhi ke paranthe with dollops of home-made makkhan, dahi, sooji ka halwa, among others. Lahore-born Mr Walia was an 88-yr-old tall gentleman whose eyesight was fast deteriorating and he was unable to read his favourite Urdu dailies, The Inquilab, The Urdu Times and Munsif Daily. Having studied and graduated from the famed Lahore University, Mr Walia's first love was Urdu, though he spoke flawless English. " Main jab tak Urdu jarida (akhbaar) na padh loon, mujhe qaraar nahin milta hai, lekin meri nazar kamzor hoti jaa rahi hai aur mere ghar mein kisi ko Urdu nahin aati hai, " Mr Walia said ruefully. His fluent Urdu was embellished with rare Persian and Arabic words.

He subscribed to three Urdu dailies. I used to read two different Urdu dailies and would carry them to his place. It was fun reading Urdu dailies for a gentleman whose command of Urdu was astonishing. " Iss daur ki Urdu kaafi sahal hai. Ab pahle jaise dushvaar alfaaz nahin likhe jaate " (today's Urdu is pretty easy; difficult words are no longer used), Mr Walia would say. Occasionally, I'd read out old Persian magazines and dailies as well because Mr Walia studied Persian till matriculation. He'd discuss Rumi and Hafiz's Persian mystic poetry with me and lament that he couldn't learn Persian that well. 'Kya shireen zabaan hai!' (What a sweet tongue!), he'd often say about Persian. On the 1st of every month, he'd remunerate me handsomely and also give me a lot of gifts. He called me, grandson. I used to have breakfast and lunch at his place. Mr Walia would often tell me with a deep sense of regret that he couldn't teach Urdu to his daughters. " Meri dono(n) dukhtaraan ek behatareen zabaan ki lazzat se mahroom rah gayeen " (My daughters have remained deprived of the beauty of Urdu language), he'd often say with a sigh. He lived with one of them.

One day, I got a call from his elder daughter who lived with him. She said, " Papa is no more. Please come." Stunned, I rushed to his place. It was a very sad day for me. I read out Urdu dailies to him for nearly a year and got very attached. In his will, he gave away all his Urdu and English books to me and also gifted 5 lacs. I was hesitant but his daughter said, " Rakh leejiye varna papa ki rooh ko qaraar nahin milega " (Keep it for the sake of my father). Years have elapsed. I still remember Mr Gurpreet Singh Walia and his love for Urdu and fondness for me. Certain associations in life are indeed uncanny. They continue to intrigue you till the wrinkled eve of your life.

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URL: https://newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/reading-urdu-rozmana-lover-of-urdu/d/139992

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