Owaisi unveils TUWJF Diary 2023, Pledges support for Urdu journalists

Hyderabad: AIMIM President & Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday launched the 2023 Telangana Urdu Working Journalists' Federation (TUWJF) Diary, promising to address the challenges faced by Urdu journalists, including the provision of double-bedroom housing initiatives.

During the event, TUWJF President M.A. Masjid, General Secretary Syed Ghouse Mohiuddin, Federation Advisors, Vice Presidents, and other representatives submitted a memorandum to the Hyderabad MP. The memorandum called for the restoration of the Mandal Level Accreditation Card Facility for Urdu journalists, the inclusion of an Urdu journalist in SMAC and DMAC, and the creation of a separate Urdu Journalist Category. Additionally, it requested a relaxation of the 12-page rule for Urdu Major and Medium Newspapers, reducing it to 8 pages for the sanction of 2 State Level Accreditation Cards in districts.

Other demands included the allocation of housing sites to Urdu working journalists within GHMC limits, the nomination of an Urdu member to the Telangana Media Academy, and the allotment of 2,000 square yards of land to construct an Urdu Journalists Bhavan in or around Hyderabad.

In response to these demands, Owaisi acknowledged their validity and pledged to bring the matters to the government's attention to ensure their resolution. He highlighted Urdu as the second official language of Telangana State and recognized the importance of the Urdu media, which is the largest after Telugu media, in delivering government programs and schemes to the Urdu-speaking population.

Owaisi also commented on G.O. 239, which creates a disparity between journalists based on language. He noted that until June 2016, all governments had treated Urdu journalists equally with their Telugu counterparts in various schemes.