By Rehan Ansari, TwoCircles.net,
Mumbai: Rashtriya Sahara Urdu, Mumbai has entered the foray of citizen activism. On June, 21 the daily along with its Readers and writers forum launched a campaign to create self help groups in Mumbai for the educational upliftment, awareness among citizens for their rights, lobbying for a good cause and for the larger social reforms.
Observing that Muslims always complain about everything but never work to solve any of them, Saeed Hamid, editor Sahara Urdu, Mumbai said, “We would like to organize people who believe in self help, provide them training and the support of our newspaper mainly to bring about positive change in our society.’
Rashtriya Sahara Urdu daily launches Readers and Writers Forum
Inspired by Sir Sayed Ahmed Khan, Hamid said, “If one individual can bring a revolutionary change, why can’t we together as a group work for our society.”
The relationship of Urdu journalism and activism, is not new, Inquilab, another prominent Urdu daily, initially had a group called “Qalamdan” and Hindustan daily created “Adabi Sangam.” But they were basically to train and improvise the writers.
Hamid said, “Now the time has changed and we need to organize people on the ground who can work in Municipal Corporations, ministries and not only write in the newspapers.”
Explaining about the strategy the editor said that “We are on the verge of forming an organization of talented people like doctors, lawyers and engineers and ask them to begin with small steps file complaint against filthy surroundings, poor roads, unhygienic water then move on to file RTIs and collect data on an important issue of our community.”
Sharing his experience, Mehmood Parvez, a retired Principal and also a trainer for RTI activism said, “Now you don’t need to file the RTI on any specific format. What is required is to train people and use it for the benefits of the community.”
Rashtriya Sahara Urdu began this campaign from south Mumbai and has plans to go to western, eastern and northern suburbs of the metropolis. The daily aims to form the group of nearly 200 workers in Mumbai, 10 each in one MLA constituency.
To start with the daily started this campaign in Bhiwandi and Mumbra, both Muslim dominated area near Mumbai and organized Career guidance and health related programmes.