By Manzar Bilal, TwoCircles.net,
Urdu language was born and brought up in India. It played a key role in the freedom of the country. But unfortunately after independence the language has been consistently discriminated, and consequently today it finds itself as a stranger in its own birth land. Urdu newspapers and magazines are facing various challenges while their number is decreasing day by day. Bihar’s leading Urdu daily Qaumi Tanzeem’s News Editor Rashid Ahmad talks to Manzar Bilal of TwoCircles.net on the difficulties being faced by Urdu newspapers today.
Why do you think Urdu newspapers are in critical condition today?
There are two root causes. First, Urdu readers excuse for buying Urdu newspapers and say that they do not contain much material. But I think it is an escape not excuse because even low class people easily spend Rs.10-15 on tea, cigarettes, bidi and other things but when it comes to buy Urdu newspapers worth Rs. 1-3 they try to put every kind of excuse. I do not know from where the trend came but it is a fact today that a person well versed in Urdu and also knows English wants an English newspaper and magazine in his bedroom not Urdu. They consider it humiliation to have Urdu newspapers. A South Indian buys an English newspaper but along with a newspaper in his mother language. Similarly a Bengali speaking person takes an English newspaper but does not forget to read a Bengali newspaper.
News Editor Rashid Ahmad, Qaumi Tanzeem, Patna
Second, Urdu newspapers do not receive much advertisement like English newspapers while advertisement is necessary for a newspaper to be in market because no newspaper can be run only on the subscription charges. For example, publication of a regular issue of Hindustan Times or Times of India costs Rs 24-28 but available in market for Rs.3-4 only by the virtue of advertisement.
Why Urdu newspapers do not receive sufficient advertisement?
Private and business advertisement is offered to a newspaper according to its circulation and Urdu newspapers are oppressed by its own readers because they do not want to read them; thus the circulation of Urdu newspapers is going down. Yes, Urdu newspapers receive government advertisement but it covers only 40% of the expenses and for the rest owners depend on subscription charges. Second thing is that Urdu newspapers are published generally by those persons whose income is dependent on the papers only. This is not the case with English newspapers as most of their owners are corporates who run newspapers only to escape from tax payment. Therefore, they are not dependent on income from their newspapers. So, they invest all income from newspapers in newspapers themselves.
Is it true that Urdu newspapers publish old news?
It is wrong to say Urdu newspapers publish old news stories which have been already published elsewhere. I think this is a fake tale and based on assumption not any survey or experience. After all, when we have Internet, news agencies and correspondents why we should publish old news. Yes, it is true that sometimes a news story is published in a newspaper on one day and the same news is published in another newspaper the next day but this does not happen only with Urdu newspapers but you would find this in English newspapers also.
People say that Urdu newspapers do not change with time. What do you say?
We try our best to run with the time but we cannot go beyond of our limits. In fact we cannot go with English newspapers because we do not have as much money as English newspapers have and we do not have money because we do not receive advertisement in good number. It means each one is based upon another.
How should the problem be tackled?
The role of Urdu readers is very important to develop Urdu newspapers. They should pay attention towards helping it by buying and reading it. It is a tragedy that despite being a big newspaper, Qaumi Tanzeem has only 68 thousand readers in Bihar and Jharkhand.
Second way to overcome the problem is that wealthy persons who would not depend entirely on the income from the paper should come in the field. Roznama Rashtriya Sahara is being published from many states only because his owner is a corporate and does not depend on its income.
Did Roznama Rashtriya Sahara affect the readership of Qaumi Tanzeem?
I do not think so because to break old readership is very difficult. Yes, it is good that Sahara made its own readers. Yet, there are a large number of readers to be covered.
What is your message for Urdu readers?
I request all of them to read Urdu more and more to help the language survive in the country and only then we can publish Urdu newspapers in a better shape with good materials.
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