Include Demands of Urdu Journalists in Party Manifestos without Reservations: TUWJF

The Telangana Urdu Working Journalists Federation (TUWJF) on Friday urged the government and different political parties to incorporate their demands in party manifestos. “The government, and the Political parties must include demands of Urdu journalists in their party manifestos without any reservations”, said Press Council of India Member and TUWJF President Mr. M. A. Majid.

Interacting with the media during a press conference at Media Plus Auditorium, he said “the contributions and toils of Urdu journalists are on par with English and Telugu media journalists, but they earn peanuts in compensation and social status.” 

“This is unjust balance and efforts must be made to ameliorate it, especially in a democracy like India”, he added.

Speaking on the occasion, TUWJF General Secretary Mr. Ghouse Mohiuddin said “the primary objective is to bring to light the critical challenges faced by urdu journalists in their day to day life. There is a dearth of advertisements in Urdu papers and a bias against Urdu journalists, who do not compromise their efforts despite perennial challenges”.

“Urdu language and journalism, having originated in India, has significantly shaped the country’s culture and civilization, providing a medium for voices to advocate for justice and equity. Despite facing numerous challenges today, including government indifference and a declining patronage from the public, Urdu journalism remains resilient, continuing to fight for its existence”, a press release said.

Responding to a question by a senior journalist, the federation has assured to pass a resolution concerning the allotment of land by the Jawaharlal Nehru Journalists Mutually Aided Cooperative Housing Society. Despite the Supreme Court instructing the State Government to release land to journalists under this scheme, journalists are yet to get their due. 

The organization, which is working on three key areas including housing, medical and education, said “the status of Urdu journalists must be on par with English and Telugu journalists, and the organization will strive to help Urdu journalists claim these rights.”

Over the past six years, the Federation has been a catalyst for Urdu journalism, hosting various programs that provide a platform for Urdu-focused journalists. To help Urdu journalists stay connected with evolving challenges and technology, the Federation has organized several skill-enhancing training programs. Numerous decision-makers have shared their insights from this platform.

On Sunday, May 28, the Federation will be organizing a one-day national conference at Khaja Mansion, Masab Tank, Hyderabad. This event will bring together Urdu journalists from cities, districts, and other states. Registrations are open from 9 am, with over 300 online registrations already received and an expected total of 700 participants.

The conference will feature speeches from academics, intellectuals, legislators, journalists, and public leaders, providing an opportunity to discuss the challenges that journalists face. Several resolutions addressing these issues will be proposed and deliberated upon.

Among the distinguished attendees are State Ministers Talasani Srinivas Yadav and Vemula Prashant Reddy, Telangana Congress President & MP A Revanth Reddy, Vice Chancellor of Maulana Azad National Urdu University Professor Ainul Hasan, former Supreme Court Judge Justice B Sudarshan Reddy, Director General of Police Telangana Anjani Kumar, Professor Padmaja Shah, MLA Ahmed Balala, and several other leaders.

This one-day conference promises to be a significant step forward in our continued effort to uplift and empower Urdu journalism. 

Federation executives including Habeeb Ali Jeelani, Mr. Syed Ahmed Jeelani, M. A. K. Faisal and others were also present on this occasion.