Hyderabad: The bicentenary celebration of Urdu journalism was held at the Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU) here on Sunday. While the state of affairs of Urdu journalism was the subject of discussion, audience were, however, treated to a generous dose of Urdu couplets.
Khincho na kamanon ko, na talvar nikalo
Jab tope muqabil ho to akhbar nikalo
(Neither bow-arrow nor a sword you need
Publish a newspaper when faced with cannon)
“These are anti-journalism times and the journalistic journey is dotted with many a pitfall”, remarked Shahid Lateef, Editor of Mumbai’s Inquilab Urdu daily.
“Apart from the financial constraints faced by Urdu media, running a newspaper is not an easy task these days. Technology has provided a new platform in the shape of digital media which is less expensive and easier to operate even from a single room. But it should not be at the cost of quality,” he said.
A large number of journalists from across the country are attending the three-day international conference on the “Urdu Media: Past, present and future”. The conference sponsored by MANUU’s Department of Mass Communication and Journalism aims to discuss the challenges and prospects facing Urdu media and the new avenues opened up by digital platform in the next two days.
Kamna Prasad, founder of Jashne Bahar Trust, recalled how the first Urdu newspaper, Jam-e-Jahanuma, was published from Kolkata by Harihar Dutta, a Hindu. The founder of the first Hindi newspaper was also a Hindu. But today we are busy separating ‘sheer and shakar’, she remarked to point out the wedge being driven between the Hindu and Muslim communities.
