Nampally: Truth is soul of journalism

Nampally: Truth is the soul of journalism and even imagining journalism without truth will be ridiculous. The way of the truth is thorny and gruesome, but truth always triumphs, thus opined literary luminaries while releasing the book 'Sach hi toh hai' on Tuesday evening.

Addressing the gathering on Tuesday evening at Media Plus Auditorium, Director of NCPUL (National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language) Dr Shaikh Aqueel Ahmed released the book written in Urdu by veteran journalist Dr Syed Fazil Hussain Parvez in the presence of TS Urdu Academy chairman Maulana Raheemuddin Ansari.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Ahmed congratulated the author for his compilation of 'exceptional editorials' and said Urdu journalism is known for its powerful editorials. He said journalism has the power to be mirror to the society, make or break governments.

He praised the author for his 'fearless and truthful journalism through his editorials'. He lauded the central government's compassion for Urdu saying, "The Modi government has granted Rs 316 crore to NCPUL, as against Rs 146 crore during the last five years of Dr Manmohan Singh's government, which is testament to the government's patronage of Urdu."

Renowned columnist Padmashri Mujtaba Hussain said he is an avid reader of author's weekly publication Gawah and finds its editorials "deeply influencing the society and his ink free from monetary and extraneous influences." He congratulated the author for not giving up in testing times and holding steadfast to truthful journalism, which is increasingly becoming a rarity.

In his presidential address, TS Urdu Academy Chairman Maulana Raheemuddin Ansari appreciated the author. He said "if journalists truly valued the purpose of their life and their profession, they will speak and write nothing but the truth."

Prof Fatima Parveen, former Vice-Principal & HoD of Arts College, OU, Md Shujath Ali, former Joint Director Doordarshan, Maulana Ahmed Abu Sayeed, a renowned exegetist of Holy Quran, Prof Farooq Bakshi, president of Telangana Progressive Writers Association, Iftekhar Shareef, India's first overseas citizen to US, Maulana Ahsan Al Hamoomi, Qateeb and Imam of the Royal Mosque, Public Gardens, and Dr Mohammed Iftekhar Uddin, Director of MESCO, also spoke.

Media Plus CEO Syed Khaled Shahbaaz, Joint Editor of Gawah Dr Mohammed Abdul Rasheed and Veteran journalist Dr Shujath Ali Rashid were present.