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No Indian writer to take part in Int'l Urdu Conference in Pakistan

There is no language called hindi. The word Hindi represents a perspective, like there is no language called Chinese, or German.. Similarly we call the language we speak as urdu and outsoders call it Hindi(mostly arabs).
may be arabs are confused... both urdu and hindi have common origin and man on the streets in India still speaks hindustani(nobody uses flowry urdu or DD1 hindi).
 
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Hyderabad: Dairat-ul-Maarif of Osmania University published the translation of Bhagwad Gita.

Dept. of Minority Affairs, Govt. of India sanctioned Rs. 37 crore under Dhruva Scheme to Dairat-ul-Maarif for the translation and publication of Arabic books into English. It is reported that the authorities of Dairat-ul-Maarif have been taking unilateral decisions. There is a need for the constitution of Monitoring Committee to oversee the publication of books.
 
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The Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Shri Prakash Javadekar releasing a book at the World Urdu Conference, in New Delhi on March 19, 2017.
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The Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Shri Prakash Javadekar presented the certificates at the World Urdu Conference, in New Delhi on March 19, 2017.
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The Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Shri Prakash Javadekar presented the certificates at the World Urdu Conference, in New Delhi on March 19, 2017.
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The Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Shri Prakash Javadekar addressing the World Urdu Conference, in New Delhi on March 19, 2017.
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It is a royal waste of time to allow or patronize urdu in india,Urdu had no place in India
 
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It is a royal waste of time to allow or patronize urdu in india,Urdu had no place in India

Giving the Circulation-wise details, Shri Naidu said that Hindi publications continued to lead with 31,44,55,106 copies per publishing day followed by English with 6,54,13,443 copies and Urdu with 5,17,75,006 copies per publishing day.
 
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Vice President's Secretariat
13-April, 2017 13:35 IST
Vice President delivers the first Mohammad Quli Qutub Shah Memorial Lecture

The Vice President of India, Shri M. Hamid Ansari has delivered the first Mohammad Quli Qutub Shah Memorial Lecture of the Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU), Hyderabad today. The Governor of Telangana, Shri E. S. L. Narasimhan, the Deputy Chief Minister of Telangana, Shri Mohammad Mahmood Ali, the Vice Chancellor of MANUU, Dr. Mohammad Aslam Parvaiz and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.


Following is the Text of Vice President’s Lecture:


The Regional Legacy of a Rich History



Aasma baare amanat na twanast kasheed

Qurra-e-faal ba nam-e man-e-diwana zadand


I deem it a privilege to be asked to deliver the first Mohammad Quli Qutub Shah Memorial Lecture of the Maulana Azad National Urdu University. I thank the Vice Chancellor, Professor Aslam Pervaiz for inviting me today.


There could not have been a more appropriate venue. Mohammad Quli Qutub Shah was the founder of this city designed to be ‘a replica of the paradise itself.’ An early 17th century English traveler praised it ‘for its sweetness of air, convenience of water and fertility of soil’ and ranked it higher than any in the realm of the Moghul emperor or other princes.


One other reason should make the subject inseparable from the venue. Dakhani Urdu has its own pedigree and was the court language of Bijapur and Golkonda kingdoms. Mohammad Quli Qutub Shah composed verses, on his own admission, every day ‘just like waves in a rippling river’ and is credited as being the first person to have compiled a diwan. He was the first translator of Hafiz and his efforts ‘led to the birth of a Persian poetic style and usage in the Dabistan-e-Golkonda.’


History records that he was epicurean by disposition with ‘amorous propensities’ and this is amply reflected in his poetry. ‘A contemporary of Tulsidas, Mirabai and surdas, his poetry is bound to earth and revels in the universality of love and mystic experiences.’ It ‘is intensely Indian and secular in its moods.’ The seventeenth century historian Mohammad Qasim Ferishta depicted his temperament as ‘forgiving and gentle.’


Work on the construction of Hyderabad commenced in 1590-91. One couplet of the founder of Hyderabad expressed his wish for the new city:



Mora shehr logaan se mamoor kar

Rakhyan jun tun darya main min ya samei


Whatever be veracity of the impulse leading to the building of the new city, a poet of our times did sum up the popular sentiment relating to it:


Sheher baqi hai, muhabbat ka nishan baqi hai

Tu nahin hai teri chashm-e-nigaran baqi hai.


Hyderabadis like ancient Athenians, look upon their city and fall in love with it. Much has been written about its charms. Professor Agha Haider Hasan Mirza’s collection of essays Hyderabad ki Sair bears witness to it; so does Allama Aijaz Farrukh’s Hyderabad: Shehr-e-Nigaran. Sibte Hasan referred to it as the place ‘where my consciousness became aware of the beauty of life and where I learnt to love human beings.’ Narendra Luther has dwelt upon the history of the city, Vasant Bawa on the last phase of the old order and Syeda Imam has put together 38 writing by admirers of different generations and in different walks of life.


It is important to consider the context of the times and the place in history of the Qutbshahi dynasty that lasted a mere 164 years - from 1523 to 1687, when its last incumbent, Abu`l Hasan, surrendered to a Moghul general. In this short span, it witnessed a blossoming of architecture, poetry, music, art, dance and cuisine and became a byword for culture apart from being a vibrant centre of international trade.


An existential reality of the Indian landmass for three centuries in the medieval period of our history was the preponderance of a central power based in north India. Writing about the Moghul emperor Akbar’s approach to the Deccan, a biographer observed that ‘Akbar hovered like an eagle over the northern horizon and watched the fighting cocks of the southern states, rending and wearing each other until his own time should come to pray on them.’ As a result, in the words of another historian, ‘the Deccan has no master narrative of its own (but) it did have intense interaction with the peoples, cultures, and states of northern India which did during our period become a sort of alter-ego for societies south of the Narbada. Individuals, communities, and whole states defined their identity with respect to this colossus of the north, sometimes in opposition to it and sometime in imitation of it.’ These independent or quasi-independent entities survived the imperial onslaught for varying periods by acknowledging some form of suzerainty. In the process, they developed their own style of governance. They ‘detached religion from statecraft’ and culture from territorial boundaries and thereby gave themselves ‘an enormously elastic and transnational character.’


Nor is the role of the mystics in forging ties between different segments of society to be ignored. This led to eventual reconciliation of religions and culture.


Two aspects of the statecraft of the Deccan states can be discerned and are worthy of mention. The first was the philosophy of governance and the necessity of a pragmatic approach towards the subjects of the state. The second pertained to the geopolitical considerations that confronted them in relation to the dominant power in the Indian sub-continent.


The Qutb-shahis were of Iranian origin and had strong religious affiliations arising from of their relationship with Iran particularly after the year 1501 when Shah Ismail resorted to strident sectarianism. Notwithstanding this, their approach to governance was pragmatic and secular. Writing about the administrative system in the reign of Ibrahim, father of Mohammad Quli Qutb Shah, the historian Haroon Khan Sherwani has noted that ‘very little differentiation was made between the Hindus and the Muslims so far as the affairs of the state were concerned.’ This was also the case in Mohammad Quli Qutb Shah’s period when ‘a characteristic of the epoch was a spirit of camaraderie which existed between the Hindu and the Muslim sections of the population’ and ‘the whole policy of the Government seems to have been that of equality of opportunity for both the Hindus and the Muslims for practically all the officers of the state.’ His court, continues the same historian, ‘represented the culture of the Muslims and non-Muslims alike, and while he seems prejudiced in his enunciation of the inferiority of the non-Shi`ah sects of the Muslims he is culturally at one with the Hindus and the Parsis as well as the man in the street so far as his appreciation of their way of life is concerned.’ As a result, ‘the whole outlook of the state as centered in the person of the Sultan was non-communal.’


Another aspect of this catholicity of approach was the Sultan’s approach to Telugu. His father, who spent seven years as an honoured guest in Vijayanagar, imbibed a passion for the language and the same was the case with Mohammad Quli to whom Telugu was ‘like a mother tongue’ and who used Telugu words in his Dakhni-Urdu poems, offered patronage to its literary personages and whose firmans and official announcements were bilingual.


The Sultan thus made ‘a deliberate attempt to synthesize cultures in the Deccan imbibing in the people of Hyderabad a relish of tolerance, love of spectacle, and mildness of nature.’ It is not altogether accidental that one of his successors became a patron of the kuchipudi dance form.


Mohammad Quli Qutb Shah occupies a place in our history and his personality and contributions are studied with much benefit by any one interested in the evolution of architecture, language and culture. His policy of peace and diplomacy ‘had warded off Moghul political influence as much as lay in his power’ and his passing away on January 31, 1626, after a rule of 31 years, left the door open for Emperor Shah Jahan to pursue his program of subjugating the Deccan kingdoms.


In the vocabulary of statecraft attempts at preponderance between political entities takes the shape of primacy, dominance, or hegemony. The principal feature of political geography of peninsular India in early 16th century was the primacy of the Vijayanagra Empire and (after the fall of the Bahmani kingdom) five smaller entities in the shape of Ahmadnagar, Bijapur, Bidar, Birar and Golkonda. This persisted till the battle of Talikota in 1565 in which four of the northern entities combined and inflicted a crippling defeat on Vijayanagra.


Another aspect of the region in that period was the quickening pace of its commercial and cultural interaction with the Iranian plateau that ‘had the effect of drawing the whole Deccan into the orbit of Persian culture.’ This included sectarian affiliation and the mention of the Persian king in the Friday khutba as a conscious act to demonstrate a degree of political affiliation.


The regional state system of the Deccan also developed its own rules of inter-state conduct and in the face of Moghul incursions into Berar and Ahmadnagar, regional frictions were put aside and Bijapur and Golconda ‘stood like one in the face of invaders and forgot their quarrels.’


Thus the Mughal designs on the Deccan entities, and the latter’s close affinity to Persia, inevitably resulted in clash of interests and perceptions. A study of the bilateral relations in that period concluded that ‘the distance between Persia and the Deccan, and the fact that the former was not a naval power, precluded the possibility of her providing material assistance to the latter, though a powerful ruler like Shah Abbas I could offer diplomatic support. The diplomatic relations between Persia and the Deccan kingdoms and the recitation of the Shah’s name in the khutba in Golkonda were irritating to the Mughals, especially, to a strong emperor like Shah Jahan. Equally objectionable would have been Shah Abbas II’s attempt to incite the Deccan kings against the Moghul Empire during the War of Succession.’


Despite this, or on account of it, Moghul attempts at dominance persisted. Thus, in the reign of Shah Jahan, the Deccan entities were forced to sign Inqiyad Namas or Deeds of Submission. Their details make interesting reading. The document, in the case of Golkonda, stipulated acceptance to be designated as ‘hereditary disciple’ of the Mughal Emperor and undertook to (1) replace the names of the twelve Imams and of the Shah of Persia and replace them with those of the four Caliphs and the Moghul Emperor (2) gold and silver coins to be struck with the formula passed by the Emperor (3) specified amounts of annual tributes to be sent (4) consider the Emperor’s friends as friends as friends and his enemies as enemies (5) swear on the Qur`an that he would abide by each of these commitments and that ‘if he were to stray from the right path then the Emperor would be justified in ordering his servants to conquer the kingdom’ and (6) if a neighbour committed aggression and occupied Golkonda territory, necessary assistance would be provided and the loss compensated.


The formal transition from ‘sultan’ to ‘hereditary disciple’ thus made clear the vassal status. Despite this, the wider diplomatic game between the Safavids and the Moghuls, of seeking and restricting influence, continued. So did the devise of equipping Iranian traders coming to Golkonda with letters from the Shah to the local ruler; it was strongly objected to by the Moghul court. Similar efforts at, cultivating local influence through officials of Iranian descent, were made by Iranian rulers. The most famous amongst the latter was the rich and resourceful diamond merchant Muhammad Said, better known by his official title of Mir Jumla, who was in correspondence with Shah Abbas II. This brought Moghul retribution on the city of Hyderabad and, in turn, propelled the Abdullah Qutb Shah to make a desperate appeal to the Shah ‘to deploy some Persian contingents on the Moghul frontiers and offers to pay the expenses of the expedition.’


Similarly, in the War of Succession after Shah Jahan‘s death, there was clear evidence of Safavid intervention on the side of Dara Shikoh. In a counter move, Aurangzeb contemplated but did not pursue an invasion of Persia in alliance with the Uzbegs. In the meantime, the final incorporation into the empire of Golkonda and other Deccan entities, and a succession of weak successors of Shah Abbas II in Persia, did away with the necessity of diplomatic and military pressures emanating from Delhi.


In the final analysis, the Moghul Empire was able to beat off the threat and prevail. It is different matter that effective dominance did not last very long since by the beginning of the eighteenth century signs of weakness and eventual disintegration were visible. In 1713 Aurangzeb’s grandson Farrukhsiyar appointed Asaf Jah as the Viceroy of Deccan. The latter ‘realized his limitations and never claimed to be king.’ His successors in the dynasty followed this practice.


To a historian, or a student of geopolitics, the power equation of the Moghuls and the Qutbshahis on the one hand, and of the Moghuls and the Safavids on the other, sheds interesting light on the rules of the game of political chess that have an abiding quality and transcend limitations of time and geography. Equally evident is the persisting nature of instrumentalities – threat or use of force, interference on pretexts of faith, use and misuse of trade and traders, and attempts to seek ‘fifth columns’ based on affinities of race or origin – that were used to further policy objectives.


Another set of historians, even normal citizens, would search for the perennial rather than the transitory in the legacy of the Mohammad Quli Qutb Shah and his successors and perhaps raise two questions: ‘What kind of political and socio-economic culture did the successor states of Hyderabad inherit? Was there anything of value left by the state of Hyderabad and can it still contribute to the Indian polity?’


Contemporary Hyderabad has crafted with skill and success a place for itself in the new world of the 21st century. One can only hope that its inherited tradition of tolerance, co-existence, inclusiveness and cultural effervescence would continue to signal its uniqueness and remain an example for the country.


Hum ko mita sake yeh zamane main dum nahin

Hum se zamana khud hai zamane se hum nahin


Jai Hind.”

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The Vice President, Shri M. Hamid Ansari at the function to deliver the first Mohammad Quli Qutub Shah Memorial Lecture of the Maulana Azad National Urdu University, in Hyderabad on April 13, 2017. The Governor of Telangana, Shri E.S.L. Narasimhan and the Deputy Chief Minister of Telangana, Shri Mohammad Mahmood Ali are also seen.
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The Vice President, Shri M. Hamid Ansari delivering the first Mohammad Quli Qutub Shah Memorial Lecture of the Maulana Azad National Urdu University, in Hyderabad on April 13, 2017.
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The Vice President, Shri M. Hamid Ansari delivering the first Mohammad Quli Qutub Shah Memorial Lecture of the Maulana Azad National Urdu University, in Hyderabad on April 13, 2017. The Governor of Telangana, Shri E.S.L. Narasimhan is also seen.
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President's Secretariat
30-June, 2017 19:06 IST
President of India inaugurates celebrations to commemorate the Bicentenary of publication of Bengali newspapers

The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the celebrations to commemorate the Bicentenary of publication of Bengali newspapers today (June 30, 2017) in Kolkata organized by the Press Club, Kolkata.

Speaking on the occasion, the President said that the first newspaper of the country, ‘Hicky's Bengal Gazette’ was published from Kolkata in 1780. Appreciating the Kolkata Press Club, he stated that it has taken the responsibility of celebrating the bicentenary as a true and worthy successor of Bengal’s rich tradition.

The President dwelt on the glorious past of the evolution of Bengali newspapers. Referring to the advent of technology in communication, the President mentioned the growing importance of social media in the country.

On the occasion, the Governor of West Bengal, Shri Keshari Nath Tripathi released a commemorative volume on the two hundred years of Bengali Newspapers, brought out by Kolkata Press Club and presented its first copy to the President.

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President's Secretariat
30-June, 2017 17:34 IST
President of India inaugurates an exhibition of art works at Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata and receives first copies of two Coffee Table books

The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated an exhibition of art works at Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata today (June 30, 2017). He also received the first copies of two Coffee Table books ‘Images and Impressions – Profile and Persona of Pranab Mukherjee’ and ‘Pranab Mukherjee 100 Frames’ from the Governor of West Bengal, Shri Keshari Nath Tripathi who formally released these books.

Speaking on the occasion, the President said that during his long career in public life - as a Minister, Member of Parliament and as President of the country, he has received immense love from political colleagues, Parliamentarians and the people of the country.

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pakistanis shouldnt dare claim urdu it belong to vedic aryan super powa india.
 
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http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/sanskrit-a-love-story/story-LzXlAU3qE54Z5waDXaAsKO.html
For over 40 years, Sudharma, a Sanskrit daily of Mysuru has battled funds crunch, lack of manpower, and sceptics to survive. But for how long?
india Updated: Nov 12, 2017 08:04 IST

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In the corridors of Karnataka Samskrit University, Bengaluru, the Sudharma, a Sanskrit daily, is a common sight. (Arijit Sen/HT Photo)

There are many trees in the wood, but once upon a time there was just one. Today it takes a lot of work to keep that old tree standing. And that work is, above all else, a labour of love, an attempt to live in a language that is ‘dead’.

“There are more than a hundred publications in Sanskrit in India today. Sudharma is India’s oldest surviving Sanskrit daily but it’s a drain on its owners’ resources – and it has had to beat many odds to survive over the years.” So says Nagaraja Rao, the soft-spoken, silver-haired 75-year-old Sanskrit scholar and chief editor of Sudharma.

Jayalakshmi, its proprietress, seated in a cubicle in front of a computer inside the printing press, looks up from the keyboard, on which she is keying in Rao’s editorial, to say: “Have you heard of a printing press inside a mud house? My father-in-law, KN Varadaraja Iyengar, started his paper in one; the newspaper vendors refused to sell it so he started sending the paper to its readers by post.” Various monks, university principals, ministers blessed Sudharma. But they wouldn’t buy it. “He sent the paper to them anyway. There are many Sanskrit papers now. We are here since 1970, we’re not going strong but we’re not about to die.”

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Jayalakshmi with the workers of her press in Mysuru. The paper was started by her father-in-law Varadaraja Iyenger. (Arijit Sen/HT Photo)

Sudharma is published from a bylane in Mysuru, a prominent city of Karnataka that has known various rulers – the Wodeyars, Tipu Sultan and the British. It has more than 50 temples split almost equally in allegiance to the deities Shiva and Vishnu. The one ‘god’ that has been a consistent giver is, however, the Wodeyar dynasty, which built, among many of the city’s institutions, the Maharaja’s Samskrit College. This is India’s oldest Sanskrit college. When Iyengar took the step of launching his paper, he did so in one of its halls.

The College remembers this. Subscription number 820 to Sudharma for Rs 500 a year goes from this college, one of the few educational institutions in India, and even in Karnataka, to do so. One of the reasons for this is that in this age of high-blitz marketing and visibility, Sudharma has no marketing team let alone a marketing budget.

The manpower is minimal, the infrastructure skeletal. “If a worker falls ill, I take his place to fold the paper and stick the postage stamp on it. It’s a printing press started by a scholar, and a paper run by scholars too,” says Jayalakshmi.

The impulse that drove Iyengar to run a newspaper, say people who knew him, was the same that made him start his printing business: an ancient language had been neglected, and he would right that wrong. The paper, even now, is run on those sentiments. “Besides Sudharma, we also print bank forms, wedding cards, bill books. Whatever we earn from our printing press goes into the paper. I promised my father the paper will go on even after he goes. I’ve kept my word,” says Iyengar’s son Sampath Kumar.

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The very first edition - 15.7.1970 - of India's oldest surviving Sanskrit newspaper. (Arijit Sen/HT Photo)


The Sanskrit drive also comes from revivalist instincts. Many Sanskritists in Mysuru are second- or third-generation descendants of Brahmin priests who presided over village temples, or were important figures in the village hierarchy because of their position as Brahmins and their facility with Sanskrit, or were teachers at the Wodeyar court. The “marginalisation of Sanskrit” is thus almost a family heirloom, a grievance passed through generations, through which they have tried to understand key moments of their state’s history.

Gangadhar Bhatt, one of the senior-most teachers of the Maharaja’s Samskrit College, who is an avid Sudharma reader, believes it was the “English-loving” Brahmins, such as litterateur UR Ananthamurthy, who “conspired to eliminate Sanskrit in education in the ’70s. Varadaraja Iyengar started Sudharma in response - to popularise the language. He also pushed for a Sanskrit bulletin on radio”, Bhatt adds.

But academic Chandan Gowda remembers the language controversy of the ’70s thus: “Students had the option of choosing Sanskrit as the first language in the eighth grade. [Sanskrit was offered as a language of study only from this grade onwards.] It is believed the Sanskrit teachers gave marks liberally to attract students and the number of students opting for the subject went up. The protests that followed resulted in the state government passing an order in 1979 that made the option of Sanskrit available only as the third language.”

Language wars

There are five crore Kannada speakers in the state. Scholar VD Hegde, who contributes to Sudharma’s news and writes an occasional column for the paper, says he would be “relieved to know there are even 1,000 Sanskrit speakers” in the state. He draws on the same history of ‘marginalisation’: “The problem is the lack of native speakers. Sanskrit needed encouragement. It is not spoken enough.”

“Even I don’t speak Sanskrit all day long,” quips Sudharma editor Nagaraja Rao. “With whom shall I speak in Sanskrit? I only speak it when I meet another scholar.” [According to Rao’s rough estimate, there are around 10,000 Sanskrit teachers in India]. Sanskrit has never really been a popular language; contrary to popular perception, not even in ancient India. Doyen of Hindi literature Hazari Prasad Dwivedi, who was also well-versed in Sanskrit, pointed out while writing on ancient Sanskrit theatre, that the dialogues of the elite and the royalty in such plays are in Sanskrit while those of their servants and peasants are in Prakrit.

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Writer Dr Nagaraja Rao is chief editor of Sudharma. An acclaimed scholar, he has taught Sanskrit in Chicago and Tel Aviv. (Arijit Sen/HT Photo)

For a paper like Sudharma to be popular, it needs to have different voices and not seem like a paper through which Brahmins are talking to Brahmins. The subscriber list of the paper shows that is quite the case. Non-Brahmins and people of other faiths who subscribe to this paper are few. “We are neither for caste nor against it,” says Rao. Does that position then not strengthen the caste system? Sudharma has almost 4,000 subscribers, including nearly 1,500 from Mysuru. “If 10 drop off where will we be?” asks Hegde. “We are neither rightist nor leftist; we can’t afford to be either.”

A tussle for Sudharma’s soul seems all part of a day’s work among the people who produce it. But what Sudharma is, or can be, will, it appears, not steer too far away from the Right. A study of its news selection and editorials does suggest this orientation. It is against silencing of voices of dissent like scholar Kalburgi’s or journalist Gauri Lankesh’s, but it is not against capital punishment for “the nation’s traitors”. While mentioning Ayodhya in a column, it will not state the origin of the problem – the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992 but has proposed it be turned into a place of tourism. Sudharma will note that Tipu was almost a new-age missile man who also donated to temples, but will tell its readers that he killed and converted many.

Ambiguity as editorial strategy is, however, not getting Sudharma any institutional help. No substantial government subsidy has come its way. It is a two-pager or a four-pager depending on individual largesse. “The running cost of the paper is Rs 1.5 lakh a month. The state government gives us Rs 1,680 a month in advertisements. Earlier, it would give us Rs 1,000 a month... Letters to the Prime Minister have yielded no response,” says Sampath Kumar.

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Worker, Umesh, preparing the offset machine for printing the two-page daily newspaper at the press. (Arijit Sen/HT Photo)
The popular way

A paper with a niche audience, a paper that is ideologically indeterminate, a paper with no visibility and no Plan B to make it visible, why is it important that it be preserved? As an anthropological curiosity?

The answer is simple: because its primary ambition seems to be to make Sanskrit the language of everyday experiences. Baldevanand Sagar, one of All India Radio’s first readers of its Sanskrit news bulletin started in 1974, points out that Sanskrit is one of the 24 languages recognized by the Indian constitution. Sudharma is ideal, he says, “if you are beginning to learn the language and want to know how to talk in everyday terms. Smaarta-patram for Smartcard, prakshepaastram for missiles – where else will you learn such everyday Sanskrit but in such a newspaper?”

Rao, who has taught Sanskrit in Tel Aviv and Chicago, and has received awards for his work, says some scholars have asked him why he is wasting his time writing editorials for such a paper. Iyengar wrote the paper’s editorial on Day One. Rao has been writing it every day for over 40 years since Day Two. “Sanskrit cannot be used to talk of cricket or the rise in price of milk, scholars say,” he says with a smile. He thinks it should be the opposite. Begin with the price of milk. And as one picks up Sanskrit, go on to read the Ramayana in that language.

There are great works in Sanskrit like Aryabhata’s Arya-Siddhanta. Read that for science,” says Rao. “The Pushpakvimana was not an aeroplane. Read Ramayana for poetry not for science.” A paper like Sudharma can be relevant if it underscores these differences.

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Sampath Kumar, the owner-editor of Sudharma. He continues his father’s practice of funding the paper from the returns of his printing business. (Arijit Sen/HT Photo)

Another good reason why it must live is the back page. Here puzzles, poems, stories are featured – the space where the ordinary Joe speaking in Sanskrit, wrests as it were, control of a language that has been the exclusive domain of the pundits. Prashasyamitra Shastri, a Bareilly poet, makes a regular appearance here. Sample one of his recent offerings:

“One day Devadutta’s wife said the following:

Before marriage you praised me much

But nowadays you say nothing at all

Why are you now so neutral, and have no response at all?

Hearing his wife, Devadutta stayed silent awhile, and then said the following:

“Woman, before marriage have you forgotten what I said?

I’m not interested in married girls at all.”

Not much is lost in translation. I swear.
 
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Vice President's Secretariat
16-November, 2017 20:06 IST
Present day journalists should follow core values of accuracy, fairness, objectivity, news worthiness and independence: Vice President

Addresses Valedictory of Golden Jubilee celebrations of Press Council of India

The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that present day journalists should follow core values of accuracy, fairness, objectivity, news worthiness and independence. He was addressing the Valedictory of Golden Jubilee celebrations of the Press Council of India, on the occasion of the National Press Day, here today. The Union Minister for Textiles and Information & Broadcasting, Smt. Smriti Irani and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.


The Vice President said that when the struggle to gain independence from the British began gathering momentum, the press became an important vehicle to inspire the people and voice their aspirations. He further said that several newspapers and journals, particularly the vernacular ones, played a crusading role in the freedom movement. The press was the main source of propaganda for the freedom fighters even as the British rulers tried to suppress it at every conceivable opportunity, he added.


The Vice President said that the nationalist role played by the newspapers and journals contributed in no small measure to influencing and moulding the public opinion during the freedom struggle. He further said that the following Independence, the press in India continued to play the role of watchdog and held a mirror to people’s problems and their aspirations. It remained one of the main pillars in protecting and strengthening democracy in the country, he added.


The Vice President said that the contours of journalism have changed over the years. He further said that Watergate scandal in the USA was a memorable example of how a free and fearless press can cause the downfall even a powerful President. In India too, we have had an instance in which a Chief Minister had to resign after the press highlighted a scandal relating to cement industry, he added.


The Vice President said that deliberate slanting of news, providing disproportionate coverage to issues, organizations or personalities, while relegating hard news to single columns or fillers or giving prominence to a non-issue that creates more tensions among people are some of the dangerous trends that have crept into the newsrooms of both the print and electronic media. He further said that the haste to beat your rivals or competitors should not lead to inaccurate reportage. Journalism is a noble profession and all of you as flag-bearers of this vocation must ensure that people are correctly informed and not become captive receivers of biased and partisan information, he added.


Following is the text of Vice President’s address:


“First let me convey my hearty congratulations to all the winners of national awards for excellence in journalism.


The press in India has a long and illustrious history ever since the first newspaper, ‘Bengal Gazette’ was started by James Augustus Hickey in 1780.


When the struggle to gain independence from the British began gathering momentum, the press became an important vehicle to inspire the people and voice their aspirations. Several newspapers and journals, particularly the vernacular ones, played a crusading role in the freedom movement. The press was the main source of propaganda for the freedom fighters even as the British rulers tried to suppress it at every conceivable opportunity.


Several journals and newspapers rose to the occasion, including Raja Ram Mohan Roy’s Sambad-Kaumudi in Bengali in 1821, Mirat-ul-Akbar in Persian in 1822, Kesari, Mahratta, The Hindu, Amrita Bazar Patrika, Bande Mataram, Al-Balagh and Al-Hilal, Young India and Hindustan Times.


Undaunted by the ironclad restrictions imposed by the British, the press remained fearless and the same indomitable spirit continued to be a prominent feature of the Indian media ever since, barring a temporary aberration during the infamous Emergency when the press behaved like the handmaiden of the government. Of course, there were a few exceptions like the ‘Indian Express’, The Statesman and ‘The Mainstream’.


The nationalist role played by the newspapers and journals contributed in no small measure to influencing and moulding the public opinion during the freedom struggle. In fact, the press during those times was the main instrument of bringing together people from different backgrounds to fight for the noble cause of attaining independence. It indeed was the biggest mission for journalists, who left no stone unturned in propagating the cause of freeing India from the clutches of British yoke.


Following Independence, the press in India continued to play the role of watchdog and held a mirror to people’s problems and their aspirations. It remained one of the main pillars in protecting and strengthening democracy in the country, except during the period I mentioned earlier. Today, the media landscape is dotted with thousands of journals and newspapers, hundreds of TV channels and scores of radio stations. Of course, you also have social media, which has become one of the main drivers of information in the Digital Age.


Friends, I am sure you all will agree that the contours of journalism have changed over the years, although it continues to cast a huge influence in moulding public opinion and decision-making by the governments, especially in democracies. Watergate scandal in the USA is a memorable example of how a free and fearless press can cause the downfall even a powerful President.


In India too, we have had an instance in which a Chief Minister had to resign after the press highlighted a scandal relating to cement industry.


I have cited these examples just to highlight the crusading role a free press can play in a democracy.


However, over the years, it appears that the core values which guided journalism in the past are not being observed and news is being increasingly coloured with views which are consistent with the line taken by the management of the news organization. Is this a healthy trend for a democracy? I don’t think so and all of you, who have gathered here today on National Press Day must do a serious introspection.


Deliberate slanting of news, providing disproportionate coverage to issues, organizations or personalities, while relegating hard news to single columns or fillers or giving prominence to a non-issue that creates more tensions among people are some of the dangerous trends that have crept into the newsrooms of both the print and electronic media. This needs to be curbed so that the pristine role played by the press earlier is restored. Commercial interests alone should not become the motive for running a newspaper or news channel. I am not asking newspapers and TV channels to become charitable organizations overnight but some balance needs to be struck between societal obligations and business endeavors.


I feel the present-day journalists should return to the core values of accuracy, fairness, objectivity, news worthiness and independence. The haste to beat your rivals or competitors should not lead to inaccurate reportage.


In these days of sting operations, under-cover journalism and rapid expansion of social media platforms, I think there is a need to bring all media organizations under a single watchdog body with a new nomenclature.



Of course, the Press Council of India has been playing a major role in promoting responsible journalism in the country. With the changing contours of journalism, I feel that the time has come for prescribing a minimum educational qualification for aspiring journalists. This is absolutely necessary to ensure that the standards and ethics of journalism are maintained and not compromised.


Friends, journalism is a noble profession and all of you as flag-bearers of this vocation must ensure that people are correctly informed and not become captive receivers of biased and partisan information.


Thank You and Jai Hind!”

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Vice President's Secretariat
14-December, 2017 20:56 IST
Vice-President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu launches the New Delhi Edition of Marathi daily ‘Lokmat’

“Hold mirror to society but the mirror should be straight, not contorted”: Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu message to the media

The Vice-President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu launched the New Delhi Edition of Marathi daily ‘Lokmat’ at a function here today. Speaking on the occasion the Vice President said the media has great power to influence the people and the Fourth Estate should use this freedom of expression to spread harmony and contribute to the nation’s development.

Shri Venkaiah Naidu said the media should exercise the freedom of expression with responsibility. “When the freedom is misused and expression becomes distorted and dangerous and you overstep, the law will have to step in,” he added.

Cautioning the media not to let itself become a tool in the hands of rumour mongers, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu said, “Information with confirmation is great ammunition; without confirmation, it remains gossip and can lead to dangerous rumour mongering”.

Asking the media to exercise self-restraint, the Vice-President said if the control is from without, it would prove more dangerous. It can be profitable only when exercised from within, he added.

“You should hold the mirror to the society but the mirror should be a straight one, not convex, concave or contorted,” said Shri Venkaiah Naidu. “ News should be news, views should be separate,” he added.

“News is a public good. Please use it for enhancing the “good quotient” in society. You have the power to influence, use the power wisely,” said the Vice President. “Use it to get to the truth (Satyam) and share it for the larger societal benefit (Shivam) in a beautiful format(Sundaram),” said Shri Venkaiah Naidu.

Recalling the words of Kashmiri poet Mammata Bhat, who lived in the 11th century, the Vice President said when the poet was asked why he wrote, he replied: “to earn fame, to make money and above all to reduce the negative influences on society”. Shri Venkaiah Naidu said the Father of the Nation, Gandhiji looked upon journalism as a means to serve the people. He advocated self-restraint and felt that external censorship will not be desirable. Bapu wrote in his autobiography: "The sole aim of journalism should be service”.

Shri Venkaiah Naidu recalled the history of the Lokmat newspaper, which is entering into its centennial year this day, and its contribution to India’s freedom struggle.

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The Vice President, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu at the function to mark the launching of the New Delhi Edition of Marathi daily ‘Lokmat’, in New Delhi on December 14, 2017. The former Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, the Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Shipping and Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, Shri Nitin Gadkari, the Union Minister for Steel, Shri Chaudhary Birender Singh and other dignitaries are also seen.
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The Vice President, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu at the function to mark the launching of the New Delhi Edition of Marathi daily ‘Lokmat’, in New Delhi on December 14, 2017. The former Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh and the Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Shipping and Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, Shri Nitin Gadkari are also seen.
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The Vice President, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu at the function to mark the launching of the New Delhi Edition of Marathi daily ‘Lokmat’, in New Delhi on December 14, 2017. The former Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, the Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Shipping and Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, Shri Nitin Gadkari, the Union Minister for Steel, Shri Chaudhary Birender Singh, the Union Minister for Electronics & Information Technology and Law & Justice, Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, the Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Shri Prakash Javadekar and other dignitaries are also seen.
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The Vice President, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu launching the New Delhi Edition of Marathi daily ‘Lokmat’, at the function, in New Delhi on December 14, 2017. The former Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, the Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Shipping and Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, Shri Nitin Gadkari, the Union Minister for Steel, Shri Chaudhary Birender Singh, the Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Shri Prakash Javadekar, the Chief Minister of Delhi, Shri Arvind Kejriwal and other dignitaries are also seen.
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The Vice President, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu launching the New Delhi Edition of Marathi daily ‘Lokmat’, at the function, in New Delhi on December 14, 2017. The former Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, the Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Shipping and Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, Shri Nitin Gadkari, the Union Minister for Steel, Shri Chaudhary Birender Singh, the Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Shri Prakash Javadekar, the Union Minister for Electronics & Information Technology and Law & Justice, Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, the Chief Minister of Delhi, Shri Arvind Kejriwal and other dignitaries are also seen.
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The Vice President, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu addressing the gathering at the function to mark the launching of the New Delhi Edition of Marathi daily ‘Lokmat’, in New Delhi on December 14, 2017.
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The Vice President, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu at an event to release the book titled ‘Sahas Ka Doosra Naam Zindagee’, authored by Shri Sanjeev Gupta, in New Delhi on February 26, 2018.
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The Vice President, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu releasing the book titled ‘Sahas Ka Doosra Naam Zindagee’, authored by Shri Sanjeev Gupta, in New Delhi on February 26, 2018.

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The Vice President, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu addressing the gathering after releasing the book titled ‘Sahas Ka Doosra Naam Zindagee’, authored by Shri Sanjeev Gupta, in New Delhi on February 26, 2018.


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The Vice President, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu addressing the gathering after releasing the book titled ‘Sahas Ka Doosra Naam Zindagee’, authored by Shri Sanjeev Gupta, in New Delhi on February 26, 2018.

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The Union Minister for Textiles and Information & Broadcasting, Smt. Smriti Irani releasing the Reference Annual book India-2018 and Bharat-2018, published by Publications Division, in New Delhi on February 27, 2018. The Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Shri N.K. Sinha and the DG, Publication Division, Dr. Sadhana Rout are also seen.
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The Union Minister for Textiles and Information & Broadcasting, Smt. Smriti Irani releasing the E-version of the Reference Annual book India-2018 and Bharat-2018, published by Publications Division, in New Delhi on February 27, 2018. The Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Shri N.K. Sinha and the DG, Publication Division, Dr. Sadhana Rout are also seen.

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The Union Minister for Textiles and Information & Broadcasting, Smt. Smriti Irani addressing at the release of the Reference Annual book India-2018 and Bharat-2018, published by Publications Division, in New Delhi on February 27, 2018. The DG, Publication Division, Dr. Sadhana Rout is also seen.

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The Union Minister for Textiles and Information & Broadcasting, Smt. Smriti Irani addressing at the release of the Reference Annual book India-2018 and Bharat-2018, published by Publications Division, in New Delhi on February 27, 2018. The Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Shri N.K. Sinha and the DG, Publication Division, Dr. Sadhana Rout are also seen.

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Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
27-February, 2018 17:22 IST
India / ???? 2018 is a referral book not only for those who study administration but also for researchers and student community - Smt Smriti Zubin Irani

Smt Smriti Zubin Irani releases Annual Reference India / ???? 2018

Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting and Textiles, Smt Smriti Zubin Irani has said that India / भारत 2018 is a comprehensive manual of all landmark government schemes. The Minister stated this, today, at the release of Annual Reference India / भारत 2018.


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Speaking on the occasion, Smt Smriti Zubin Irani said that the online version of India / भारत 2018 will help researchers and students who often look for information on internet. It will be a referral book not only for those who study administration but also for researchers and student community, she added. She also hoped that the book will be brought out in all Indian languages from the next year to benefit the public at large.


Backgrounder: India 2018 & भारत 2018

India 2018 and भारत 2018, the reference annuals are the flagship publications brought out by Publications Division. Over the years they have been hailed as the authentic and comprehensive source of information on policies/programmes and activities of the Ministries and Departments of the Government of India. A prestigious volume brought out by the Publications Division based on the material compiled by the New Media Wing, India 2018 has entered its 62nd year of publication.

India 2018, the Reference Annual, an exhaustive publication, deals with all aspects of country’s development from rural to urban, industry to infrastructure, science and technology to human resource development, art and culture, policy, economy, health, defence, education and mass communication. The Annual also gives a glimpse of flagship programmes of the Government, important events of the year and the story of Indian States & Union territories with their vital statistics.

The two Reference Annuals are also available as e-book in the most commonly used e-PUB format and can be accessed on a variety of devices such as tablets, computers, e-readers and smart phones. The e-book conforms to the best international standards technically and is a faithful replication of the print version. The e-INDIA has a variety of reader friendly features for better communication like hyperlinks, highlighting, book marking and interactivity.


Both India/Bharat 2018 will be available for sale both through physical and online medium in following ways:

p-Book:

1) The p-Book priced at Rs. 350, can be purchased from 8 sales emporia and 3 regional offices of DPD and its authorized agents across the country.

2) The p-book is also available for online sale through Bharatkosh portal which can be accessed directly as well as through Publications Division’s website,www.publicationsdivision.nic.in

e-Book:

Priced at Rs. 263, the e- books are available on leading e- Commerce platforms; Amazon. in and Google Play Books.

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