Sitting outside the Jalandhar district administrative complex, Kesar Singh is being coaxed by a visitor from a neighbouring village to complete the translation of his ancestral property’s ‘mukhtiyar nama’ (power of attorney) and sale deed from Urdu to Punjabi by the evening. The visitor wants the paperwork for transferring the land completed soon so that he can emigrate to Canada with his family next month.

The 82-year-old is not amused, as he receives more than half a dozen such translation works every day, both from the administrative complex and the court. Owing to his old age, he doesn’t accept more than two assignments a day.

“It takes me at least four hours to translate a registry from Urdu to Punjabi. Due to back pain, I can’t sit for long hours. So if anyone is in haste, I turn them down,” says Singh.

But despite being turned down, the people return to him as “there are not many people who translate Urdu from Punjabi here”, says the octogenarian, sitting in his open-air office with four chairs laid out for the visitors.

His stamp reads: “Punjabi/English translation from the Urdu language. By Kesar Singh. Typist — Outside Tehsil Complex Jalandhar.”

From English typist to Urdu translator

Born on April 7, 1935, in Chakwal tehsil of Jhelum district, now in Pakistan, Singh moved to Jalandhar along with his parents and four siblings upon Partition. After his wife’s death in 1984, he has been living with his nephew’s family at Railway Colony.

Singh gives the credit to his primary education in Urdu language for helping him live an independent life at this age: “Urdu di badolat meri rozi roti chaldi aa.”

“I charge ₹500 for one translation and earn up to ₹20,000 per month,” said Singh, who has been working as a typist since 1985.

With a glint of pride in his eyes, he shows his Urdu Amoz certificate for completing the six-month basic course from the Punjab language department with the score of 40 out of 50, the highest in the state last year.

Urdu translation was not always his source of income. Till 2009, he worked as an English typist in the administrative complex. But after an accident, he suffered a back injury and was not able to work on typewriter.

“When I resumed work in 2011, I had to give up English translation as it is accepted only in a typed format. Now I translate Urdu to Punjabi manually,” he said.

‘Growing interest among youngsters too’

As government records now are in Punjabi, instead of Urdu as was the practice till 1965, government departments and courts are always in the need of people who can translate the old records.

The language department of the district administrative complex has 20 students, mostly in the age group of 40-50, who have enrolled in the six-month free course. They are those already working in the revenue department or civil courts or are retired officials.

Arinder Singh, 50, of Lyallpur Khalsa College, Jalandhar, who has been teaching Urdu for the past 20 years and taking evening classes at the language department, said there is a growing interest in Urdu among youngsters too because of requirement of translators. Such posts are advertised from time to time, he said.

“People from all age groups and fields are interested in learning the language,” said the professor, who has also authored two Urdu books.

First Published: Feb 18, 2019 21:56 IST