Monday, August 15, 2022
Islamabad (Urdu Point. DW Urdu. August 15, 2022) The role Urdu newspapers played in liberating the country from British slavery is a golden chapter in the history of journalism.
The daily newspaper 'Milap' published in 1923 from Lahore was started by the leaders of Arya Samaj, an organization running a reform movement in Hinduism, but apart from connecting the society of its name, its role has also been significant in the freedom struggle.
This newspaper is still being published from New Delhi today.
How did 'Malap' save the freedom struggle from being sabotaged?
Naveen Suri, editor-in-chief of 'Malap', in an exclusive conversation with DW, said that he was proud that 'Malap' foiled a plan by the British to sabotage the freedom struggle, otherwise independence might have been achieved. It would be even more difficult.
Naveen Suri tells that Sardar Bhagat Singh, Sukhbir Thapar and Shiv Ram Rajguru were in Jail in Lahore conspiracy case. The British kept the three in separate cells in the Lahore Jail and while interrogating them, they were giving the impression that the three were ready to become indemnified witnesses against each other. Sardar Kishan Singh, Bhagat Singh's father, somehow came to know about this.
He was disturbed by this situation and approached Khushal Chand Khorsand, the founder of 'Malap'.
Khushal Chand gave a recipe. In those days, it was allowed to send food and drink from the houses of death row prisoners.
"Milap published an eight-page special supplement to the newspaper," Navin Suri explains. All the news headlines were of a generic nature, but the content of the news was that the British were lying, the three freedom fighters from Azadi." No one is against each other but all are united.
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He added, Bhagat Singh's father sent some jalebis wrapped in this newspaper to his son. Bhagat Singh, who was on a hunger strike, was quite surprised by his father's behavior, but the jailer, who was sympathetic to him, , said 'jalebi beshik sat deyen likan akhbar khek liyen' (throw away the jalebi but read the newspaper). Bhagat Singh understood.
When he read the newspaper, the whole situation became clear and thus a dangerous trick of the British was foiled.
A journey of a century from Lahore to Delhi
Daily 'Malap' is one of the few Urdu newspapers whose journey has been going on for the past century. 'Malap', which started on 13th April 1923 from the second floor of a three storied building on Ganpat Road, Lahore, today continues its publication in print as well as digital format from a multi storied building on Bahadur Shah Zafar Road, New Delhi. Is.
After Mahashe Khushal Chand Kharsand, his son and Azadi Mujahid Ranbir Singh, the responsibility of this newspaper is now in the hands of his grandson Naveen Suri. While his great grandson Rishi Suri is busy taking it to the next era with modern technology.
Naveen Suri, explaining the background of the publication of 'Malap', said, In 1921, the Mopla riots took place in Kerala.
The effects of which were also felt in Punjab, about three thousand kilometers away from there. The officials of the Arya Samaj sent Mahasha Khushal Chand to find out the reasons. After six months of investigation, he said in his report that contrary to the claim of the British government, these were not Hindu-Muslim riots, but the British Resident Commissioner there had conspired to show his importance.
Interestingly, right-wing extremist Hindu organizations are still making a concerted effort to portray the Mopla riots as Muslim atrocities against Hindus.
According to Naveen Suri, the Arya Samaj officials decided that since such incidents may happen in the future, it is necessary to publish a newspaper to inform about the reality.
Its responsibility was given to Mahasha Khushal Chand, who named the newspaper 'Malap'. Its first issue was published on 13 April 1923 from a three-storied building on Ganpat Road, Lahore. On the first floor of the building was the office of Arya Samaj and on the second floor was the office of 'Malap' while on the third floor Mahasha Khushal lived with his family.
Naveen Suri regrets that his desire to visit Lahore to see the first office of 'Malap' has not been fulfilled till date.
He expressed his wish to DW that someone from Pakistan would inform the details of the current condition of this building.
Bhagat Singh and Ranbir Singh are childhood friends
Naveen Suri explains that both Ranbir Singh and Bhagat Singh, his father and ex-Malaap editor, were childhood friends. Both were born in the same year and lived in a house with a common wall until they were about eight years old.
Bhagat Singh's family lived on one side and Ranbir Singh's family on the other side.
He further said that Bhagat Singh joined his father in Ghadar Party. Ranbir Singh was also among those who planned to throw a bomb at the Governor of Punjab. Although the British governor survived in this incident, his car was badly damaged. And Ranbir Singh hid in a drain for three days before being arrested.
Although the court sentenced him to death, the High Court also acquitted him and two other accomplices. Ranbir Singh became a hero when he came out of the hanging cell and 'Malaap' benefited from it.
The language is Hindi and Punjabi but fighting in Urdu
Naveen Suri narrates an interesting incident. He says that after independence, one section in Punjab wanted to make Punjabi the national language, while the other wanted Hindi.
But both of them used to convey their views and arguments to the public through 'Malap', an Urdu newspaper.
He explains that the language conflict escalated to such an extent that then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru invited Punjabi pioneer Master Tara Singh and Hindi pioneer Khushal Chand to a meeting with their respective delegations. Both sides presented their respective arguments in favor of Punjabi and Hindi, but when Nehru said, "You are fighting your battle in Urdu," both sides backed down in awe.
Naveen Suri said that actually it was the popularity and importance of Urdu and Malap that people had to take the help of Urdu to give Punjabi and Hindi the status of national language.
'...but Urdu was damaged by Pakistan'
Naveen Suri said that except for the current Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he has had meetings with all the Indian Prime Ministers since the former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and he has been admitting in private meetings that Urdu is the language of India.
However, no Indian Prime Minister has taken concrete steps to give Urdu its rightful place, and if anything, it has only been demonstrative.
Naveen Suri, Chief Editor of 'Malap' believes that one of the main reasons why Urdu is not getting its rightful right in India is that Pakistan has declared it as its national language. After which we took it for a foreign language.
I wish Pakistan would have spared Urdu by making some other language its national language."
Naveen Suri is optimistic about the future of Urdu in India. He says, Urdu is not just a language but a civilization and civilization cannot be erased. Civilization can be weak, dust can fall on it, it can be broken and twisted. But it cannot be erased. Those who are thinking that Urdu They are wrong."
