Andaz-e-Bayan is the outcome of my passion, a passion which I did not allow to die even during unemployment and the pandemic. These views were expressed by renowned Urdu critic and writer Haqqani Al-Qasmi.
He was speaking at the launch of the third book of his famous single-theme Andaze-e-Bayan series at a cafe in Shaheen Bagh, New Delhi on Sunday, 6 September, 2020.
The present journal, which in fact, is part of a series of books, “discusses about those poets, litterateurs, authors and novelists, who, despite being in the medical profession, are serving Urdu in areas of research and criticism”, said Haqqani.
Speaking on this occasion Maulana Ajaz Urfi Qasmi, president of All India Tanzeem Ulama-e-Haq, who chaired the session, lauded the author for his powerful, creative style of writing which had won him global acclaim.
Haqqani Al-Qasmi is an accomplished and distinguished litterateur and critic serving Urdu with great sincerity and humbleness. There is an unusual amount of literary taste in his works which can be felt by the reader. He further said that Haqqani is not unaware of the social world. “From above the literary firmament, Haqqani surveys the mundane world”, Mualana Urfi said adding that one can see that in his literary journal series Andaz-e-Bayan as well.
Abid Anwar, a senior journalist with UNI remarked that to say anything about Haqqani would amount to explaining the obvious.
Urdu critic and Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Dr Noman Qaisar presented an overview of the author’s literary journey mentioning about some of his well-received and critically acclaimed books like Philisteen Ke Chaar Mumtaz Shu’ara, Tawaaf-e-Dasht-e-Junoon, La Takhaf, Takalluf Bar Taraf, etc which are full of literary aesthetics, creative imagination and academic insights.
It should be noted that the first issue of this book series (Andaz-e-Bayan-1, May-July 2016) was dedicated to literary contributions of women, especially of women from marginalized sections of society, with reference to biographical writings and their analysis.
The second one was dedicated to the creative facets of the police while the latest is an effort to unmasking the unrevealed literary contributions of doctors and medical professionals not just in Urdu literature but in English and Hindi literature as well.
Persons from media and different Urdu literary circles present on this occasion included Shahidul Islam, A N Shibli, Dr Khan Mohammad Asif, Ashraf Bastawi, Zubair Khan Saeedi, Majid Khan, Manzar Imam, Mohammad Alamullah, Nayab Hasan, Maulana Firoz Akhtar Qasmi, Shams Tabrez Qasmi, Ahsan Mehtab, Anwarul Haq, Abdul Bari Qasmi.
The launch programme was coordinated by T M Ziaul Haque. Salam Khan, head of Ibarat Publication which has published the book, presented the vote of thanks.
source: http://www.millattimes.com / Millat Times / Home> Education> National / by Md Irshad Ayub / Manzar Imam / September 11th, 2020
Shams Tabrez Qasmi, the CEO and the chief editor of Millattimes, has been honoured with “Amar Shaheed Molvi Baqar Award 2021”.
The award is in the memory of the martyr and celebrated Urdu journalist Molvi Muhammad Baqar (1780-1857). The award was conferred upon him on 16th September 2021 in a programme held at the premises of the Press Club of India (PCI), 1 Raisina Road, Near Kirshi Bhawan, New Delhi-1 in the presence of the office bearers of the PCI and a good number of the journalists.
The award was presented to Mr. Qasmi in the recognition and appreciation of his commitment, dedication and continuous efforts in the field of journalism.
Millattimes, from its day one, had been covering the issues ignored by the mainstream media, specially the issues of the minority communities and the other weaker sections of the society.
The Award was sponsored by Media 24×7 and Abdul Sattar Memorial Educational Society.
The programme, wherein the award was presented, was held from the Press Club of India (PCI) to commemorate the 164th death anniversary of the Martyr of the first War of Independence 1857 and the famous Urdu journalist Maulvi Muhammad Baqar.
It was addressed by a galaxy of journalists like Mr. Jai Shankar Gupta, Member of Press Club of India, Satish Jacob, former BBC journalist, Meem Afzal, ex-MP, Ismail Zafar Khan, SK Pande, Arvind Kumar Singh, Qurban Ali, Maroof Raza, Masoom Moradabadi and others, besides chief guest Prof. Azra Mosavi, a direct descendant of Maulvi Muhammad Baqar’s grand family from AMU, Aligarh.
Congratulations to Shams Tabrez Qazmi (@ShamsTabrezQ) & Swati Mathur (@SwatiMathurTOI) for winning the award for best journalist in commemoration 1857 martyr, journalist Molvi Mohammad Baqar. A special function for the 164th death anniversary of First War of Independence was held pic.twitter.com/oTsNRCTft9
The Press Club of India resolved in its meeting held on 6th September 2021, in the presence of its President, Mr. Umakant Lakhera, Secretary General Mr. Vinay Kumar and other members, like Mr. A. U. Asif, Press Club of India’s executive member, to commemorate the death anniversary of the Martyr of the first War of Independence 1857 and the famous Urdu journalist Maulvi Muhammad Baqar.
It was also decided that an award after his name will be presented to two journalists every year along with an amount of 21,000-00 Indian Rupees.
According to the resolution, this programme was held on 16th September 2021 and two dynamic, youth, budding and promising journalists: Maulvi Shams Tabrez Qasmi, a Darul Uloom Deoband Alumnus and the Chief Editor of Millattimes and Swati Mathur, a JNU Alumnus and a reporter with The Times of India were felicitated with the award named after him.
मिल्लत टाइम्स के चीफ एडिटर शम्स तबरेज़ का़समी (@ShamsTabrezQ) और टाइम्स ऑफ इंडिया की पत्रकार स्वाती माथुर (@SwatiMathur06) प्रेस क्लब ऑफ इंडिया की ओर से अमर शहीद मोलवी मुहम्मद बाकिर पुरस्कार से सम्मानित । pic.twitter.com/yUVVmsWdtO
The Press Club of India (PCI), as stated at its website, is basically a meeting point for the journalists. The idea to set up the Press Club of India was first conceived by eminent journalist and editor Mr Durga Das in the early 1930s. When he had visited London as the editor of the Associated Press of India, he had chance to visit the London Press Club as well. It became a motivator for him to replicate the model in Delhi.
Eventually the Press Club of India was founded on December 20, 1957 and incorporated as a company on March 10, 1958. Mr Durga Dass, the then Editor of The Hindustan Times was elected its first president and Mr D R Mankekar, a veteran journalist, became the first secretary general of the Club.
Now, it is an important and oldest body of the Indian journalists which is run by the elected President, Secretary general and members.
Moulvi Muhammad Baqar, a scholar, a journalist and an Indian independence activist, was born in 1780 in Delhi. He received his basic education from his father. For further studies, he got admission in Delhi College. Following his graduation, he was appointed as a teacher in Delhi College in 1828. He served as a teacher for six years.
Along with being one of the best editors, he was a successful reporter as well.
He launched a weekly newspaper namely “Dehli Urdu Akhbar” in 1835. It survived for almost 21 years and proved to be a milestone in the field of the Urdu Journalism. With the help of this weekly, he played a significant role in social issues. The weekly brought political awakening in masses and united them against the tyrant British rulers.
It is a fact that Maulavi Muhammad Baqar always advocated for the unity among the Muslims and Hindus as he thought that it is necessary to get rid of British rule.
He was arrested on 14th September 1857 for revolt. On 16th September 1857, he was tied to the mouth of a cannon. Then he was fired mercilessly by Major William SR Hudson.
Thus he became the first journalist to be executed following rebellion in 1857 by the then tyrant British government ruling over India.
Mr. Qasmi, who was felicitated with Amar Shaheed Molvi Baqar Award, is fond of learning, reading and writing from his early age. He has penned more than one thousand articles and essays on religious, social and political issues. He is one amongst the few journalist of the new generation taken seriously in India. He is known as a courageous, bold and fearless journalist.
Being a student in the DUD, he wrote columns for Weekly “Aalmi Sahara” and Daily “Azizul Hind”. It was an honour for him that on 6th December 2014, Dr. Aziz Burney published his article on Babri Masjid in his daily newspaper Azizul Hind as editorial.
When he reached capital city Delhi, he started his career as the editor of known New Agency: “INS”. In 2015, he was offered to write a column for the daily newspaper “Khabren”, New Delhi.
Mr. Qasmi launched a News Portal namely “Millattimes.com” in January 2016.
Officially it was inaugurated by Maulana Sayyid Muhammad Rabey Hasani Nadavi, President: All India Muslim Personal Law Board in Mumbai. Currently it is most read and visited Urdu news portal from India. Along with Urdu language, Millat Times is also providing its services in English and Hindi languages. Its YouTube Channel is also available, where the ignored issues by mainstream media are discussed.
He has interviewed several towering personalities like Mr. Iqbal Ahmad Ansari, ex-Chief Justice of Patna High Court and General Zamiruddin Shah, ex-VC of Aligarh Muslim University to let the viewers know their lives, services and views on several topics.
The area of his main interest is issues of Indian Muslims, current affairs of the Muslim World and the Middle East.
On this auspicious occasion, I congratulate Mr. Qasmi from the bottom of my heart! Congratulations! I hope Millattimes, as a media house, will continue offering its services and covering the issues, under Mr. Qasmi’s able leadership, which are commonly ignored by the mainstream media houses. ****
Email: qasmikhursheed@yahoo.co.in
source: http://www.millattimes.com / Millat Times / Home> Opinion / by Khursheed Alam Dawood Qasmi / Millat Times Staff / September 19th, 2021
Masoom Muradabadi’s book was launched at the Press Club on Thursday by eminent journalists
The event was organised to launch the Hindi translation of journalist Masoom Muradabadi’s book on Maulvi Baqar.
New Delhi :
The Press Club of India on Thursday held a seminar to commemorate the death anniversary of Maulvi Mohammad Baqar, the first journalist who was executed by the British following the rebellion of 1857.
A Hindi translation of the book titled ‘1857 Ki Kranti Aur Urdu Patrkarita’ (The Revolution of 1957 and Urdu Journalism) authored by journalist Masoom Muradabadi was released at the seminar.
It chronicles the life of Baqar as a journalist and freedom fighter. Moreover, two journalists — Swati Mathur, a reporter with The Times of India, and Shams Tabrez Qasmi, the editor of popular news portal Millat Times — were also felicitated with an award named after Baqar.
A number of veteran journalists and writers spoke on the occasion paying tributes to the ‘first martyr journalist’. They described Baqar as an icon of Hindu-Muslim unity whose ideals are increasingly relevant in the present times.”
“Maulvi Muhammad Baqir was one of the great journalists who preferred martyrdom to collaboration with Britishers.” A U Asif, a senior journalist and member of Press Club’s managing committee, said. “He is the ideal and role model for the new generation of journalists.
Satish Jacob, a BBC veteran, said Baqar was a journalist who sacrificed his life for the sake of the nation. He described him a proponent of Hindu-Muslim unity.
Jacob said he is proud of the fact that he hails from old Delhi which gave birth to a person like Baqar. He said that Baqar had started an Imam Barah in the Kashmere gate area which is still functioning. The Imam Barah was built with the expressed goal of communal harmony, he added.
Noted journalist Meem Afzal, who has been a member of Parliament and India’s ambassador in four countries, lashed out at the current government for communal divide and accused it of obliterating the contributions of people like Baqar. He said that Baqar used his pen to fight for the idea of India.
Maroof Raza, another journalist, appealed for steps to find the original source and preserve the archives of ‘Delhi Urdu Akhbar’, the newspaper Baqar used to publish.
Jai Shanakar Gupta, senior journalist and a member of the Press Council of India, urged the government to get copies of the newspaper that Baqar edited from Britain where they are lying in a museum.
SQR Ilyas, journalist and president of the Welfare Party of India, said that the sacrifice of Baqar should inspire the present-day journalists to speak truth to power. He lauded the Press Club for commemorating Baqar.
Similar sentiments were echoed by Syed Aijaz Aslam, editor of Radiance Viewsweekly.
Mathur and Qasmi expressed their gratitude to the Press Club for felicitating them with the award. “This recognition in the form of an award in Maulvi Baqar’s name is a big thing for me, ” said Mathur.
Qasmi credited his whole team of Millat Times for the work that earned him the award.
source: http://www.clarionindia.net / Clarion / Home> Editor’ Pick / by Zafar Aafaq, Clarion India / September 16th, 2021
