Threats and intimidations do not guarantee survival of a newspaper Aziz Burney “Maulana, we have the entire dossier about you and if you become associated with Aziz Burney, we will launch a campaign against you and publish your story in a serialized way. As a result you will lose all your social reputation. You will also lose your credibility in the eyes of the government. And yes, you work here with us, so if you are seen around Aziz Burney even once, you need not come back here. Keep this in mind.” This is not confined to one person and these threats are not isolated incidents. Most of such threats are in my knowledge. Some of them directly narrated to me their tale while I came to know about some other indirectly. This is the reason, I gave up mixing socially. Even I met few people at home and seldom talked to famous personalities over the phone. I changed the number which people had. Now I only talk to my readers or people associated with this movement. Most of my time is claimed by the planning of my newspaper and future plans. As for the treatment meted out to me, I am indebted to them for the fact that they killed only my pen and spared me. However, I had been observing this for the last two years that the newspaper I gave birth to and took to unprecedented heights had gone into the hands of the RSS who had been hatching conspiracies against me. Naturally, it changed its policy and attitude which was unexpected of it. As for the other newspaper belonging to a big media house, it had been bought off by the anti-Muslim organization with the sole purpose of conveying its message in the language a section of the Muslims read. Therefore, it could not have been expected from that newspaper to publish the report of my speech delivered in a meeting or ‘Justice Demand’ conference or the report of my speech in Kennedy Hall of the AMU with regards to its minority character as punishment for inviting Aziz Burney in the programme and the message reaches to other organizers that if you too had the audacity to commit the same mistake, you will also deserve the same punishment. I had the information till the morning of 6 October but I had decided to hold a meeting of the representatives of the newspaper and those wishing to be associated with the NGO at my home but seeing the large number of interested persons I had the arrangements in the Community Hall in our area at a short notice. Representatives, Ulema and other responsible persons reached the venue right from the morning and by 11.30, people assembled there from different parts of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, including Mewat in such a large number that no space was left in the hall. The detailed account of the programme and the pictures are being published in the next page for our readers. Whatever I wrote in the lines above is not my pain because I had prepared myself for the greater pain the day I had decided to wage a war against the Sangh Parivar and other anti-Islam forces. So it was not unexpected for me especially in an age when people are eager to kill their own people. It was only a piece of paper which I turned into the heart beat of the Muslim community during my editorship. But today I am more satisfied and happy that my readers helped me keep my promise to make the newspaper No. 1 within hundred days. Actually, I got their love and support more than I had expected. I am aware that the newspaper does not reach some places. The conspiracies that succeeded in stopping my pen are indeed so strong that they can get the bundles of the newspaper lifted to prevent it from reaching my readers. Notwithstanding, the popularity of the newspaper and its acceptability among the readers had not decreased even marginally. Instead, all the efforts of preventing the newspaper from reaching the readers were counterproductive. I want that the number of the newspaper should not be increased now so that the newspapers that have been trying to put obstacles before Azizul Hind should find some space for themselves as some newspapers should remain in the field for comparison so that the readers could decide as to which newspaper is better and these foreces can be made to realize that mere wealth and intimidating the readers do not gurantee survival of any newspaper. They should observe their performance and do some introspection as to what the readers want and like and why? Who understands the voice of their heart and who can represent their concerns and issues? Although I was happy that the two newspapers had become worried about the impact of Azizul Hind on their market were compelled to Islamise their newspapers. Mosques and madrasas took centrestage in these newspapers too. Now the Sangh Parivar has to ponder over the fact that if the newspapers they had bought off and hatched conspiracies to make them their mouthpieces and representatives, have also started representing Islam, then the movement for removing Aziz Burney failed and Azizi Burney won. It is another matter that in the midst of news related to Muslims some news still may find a place and provide them solace that at least there is some scope of fulfilling their purpose. I did not want that people should attend the meeting in a large number because the presence of people in a large number in my meeting in the India Islamic Cultural Centre on February 10 had convinced me that I live in the hearts of my well wishers and this is my asset which I do not disclose before every one at all times because I do not want them to face the troubles other people have suffered though I know that these threats have no teeth. People swimming against the tide should always remember that the person who poured water on the efforts of the RSS spanning over 112 years and can gave a befitting reply to the enemies and when he publishes his own newspaper achieves the miracle of turning it into No. 1 within a hundred days and creates a history in the Urdu journalism of post independence era, it is only a small beginning for him. Those who have the misconception that Azizul Hind will prove a water bubble should know that this is only their wishful thinking and their dream will never come true. Whatever Azizul Hind has written in a very short period of 100 days and become the heartbeat of the readers will not be forgotten. Each edition of the newspaper is an important document. Even if today’s edition is God forbid, the last edition what imprint it has left has come to my knowledge from the ulema on 6th October. As for the tricks that are being adopted to drag my community away from me, first of all I apologize to those who were my well wishers and I construed their silence as their separation from me. In fact, the circumstances might have compelled them to remain silent. I will have the same respect for them in my heart no matter with whom they are. However, I will wind up my discussion today by asking those trying to scare people away from Azizul Hind or Aziz Burney: Will you be able to stand your ground if Aziz Burney takes the turn. Aziz Burney is a journalist who has such a big stock of proofs and evidences that the RSS that brings the government under pressure succumbs to his pressure and 9/11 or 26/11 gets stuck in their neck. Read full story in urdu and hindi azizulhind epaper.azizulhind/index.php epaper.azizulhind/fullstory.php?id=1925
Posted on: Tue, 08 Oct 2013 10:13:31 +0000
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