Aversion to Reading Books and Magazines among Urdu-Speaking Muslims Has Caused Serious Intellectual Drawback in the Community
Many
Urdu Magazines Closed Because Of Lack of Readership
Main Points:
1. During the 70s Urdu publishing industry
flourished.
2. Shama, Biswin Sadi, Khilona and Huma were
popular magazines in the 70s.
3. Wajeda Tabassum, Razia Butt and Ismat
Chughtai were very popular among women.
4. Ibn-e-Safi popularised detective novels in
Urdu.
5. Magazines on films, sports and health also
survived.
6. Increase in religiosity with increase in
literacy discouraged 'un-Islamic' literature.
-----
New
Age Islam Staff Writer
30 July
2021
'Iqra' was the first word revealed to the
prophet of Islam. Pursuit of knowledge has been ordained to Muslims and seeking
knowledge has been made a religious duty for every Muslim man and woman. But
unfortunately, Muslims have not shown that degree of keenness for learning and
study.
If we look
at the situation in the Indian context, we observe that the habit of reading
books and newspapers among Muslims, particularly among Urdu-speaking Muslims is
fast receding. This reflects in the circulation of Urdu newspapers and Urdu
periodical magazines in India. This negative trend was distinctly observed
since 80s and assumed alarming proportions in the 90s. As readership of Urdu
magazines receded, many popular literary, religious and family magazines closed
publication. Many Urdu newspapers also had to close down because of lack of
readers and advertisers. Today Urdu speaking Muslim community has almost given
up reading academic or literary magazines. Only some religious magazines have
been striving to remain alive on the readership of a section of intellectual
Muslims who subscribe to a particular sect. Today, the general Muslims are
interested only in basic religious books like books on Namaz and other basic
religious knowledge. Science magazines, magazines for women, and magazines on
various fields of knowledge are few and those available strive to find readers.
This was
not the picture, say, before Partition. Urdu magazines and newspapers were sold
in large numbers. Magazines on various subjects were published and each magazine
had its circle of readers. For example, the circulation of Maulana Abul Kalam
Azad's periodical Al Hilal was 50 thousand. But it may be because during the
period non-Muslims would also read Urdu.
After
Partition too, Urdu speaking community had a good habit of reading, and
different people had different tastes and interests so far as the books are
concerned. Magazines on health, politics, films, literature, science,
children's literature, sports, crime, detective literature, women, and business
and economy were published and had a good number of readers and subscribers.
Interestingly,
though literacy among Muslims was low, both literate men and women had the
habit of reading. Fiction (Afsana) and novels were in great demand.
Novels of Razia Butt, Ismat Chughtai, Wajeda Tabassum, Qurratul Ayn Haider and
other women writers were very popular among Urdu speaking women while novels of
Nasim Hejazi, Ilyas Sitapuri, Nadim Sitapuri, and Seraj Anwar were popular
among Urdu-speaking men. During this period, Ibn-e-Safi popularised detective
literature in Urdu with his series of detective novels. His detective novels
had great literary value because of his diction, style and standard. His novels
were said to have taught correct Urdu to thousands of its readers. His success
inspired Shama publications of Yunus Dehlavi/ Idrees Dehlavi to start the
publication of a regular detective magazine Mujrim. Another magazine
named Jasoosi Duniya was also published.
Wajeda
Tabassum took Urdu feminist novels to another height during the 70s and 80s.
Her novels mainly depicted the life and culture of Hyderabad’s middle class
women. Her novels like Nuth ki Qeemat, Nuth Utrai etc. greatly appealed
to Urdu speaking women.
Periodicals
like Biswin Sadi and Shama were very popular among Urdu speaking
men and women. Shama had a circulation of about one lakh and had readers
in Urdu speaking diaspora of Europe as well. Because of the interest of Muslim
women in literature, Shama group of publications had started publishing a
women's monthly magazine Bano. Taufique Farouqee's Khatoon Mashrique
was the second most popular women's magazine in India. Though the magazine was
considered below standard by the literary circle, it served to keep the reading
habit of Urdu speaking women alive. It also had a circulation of 50,000 at a
point of time. The popularity of Biswin Sadi, Bano and Khatoon
Mashrique led to the launch of other women's magazines like Baji, Gulabi
Kiran, Mashriqi Dulhan, Mashriqi Aanchal etc. But they could not win much
popularity.
This was a
period when Urdu Digests were also very popular. Mehrab, Huma, Chahar Rang,
Hazar Rang and Shabistan were some of the popular Urdu digests during the 70s
and 80s. These digests catered to the tastes of a diverse group of readers as
these digests had writings on fiction, hunting, detective stories, stories on
crimes, politics and current affairs, literature, religious issues, history,
science etc. More often these digests would include a complete novel for those
who liked novels. A religious digest Hoda by Mustafa Siddiqee was also popular
among the religious section.
Blitz
(Urdu) of Dr R.K. Karanjia and Nai Duniya of Abdul Waheed Siddiquee were
equally popular Urdu weeklies of the 80s. The former was a neutral news
magazine without the spice of religion in its content while the latter was a
newspaper that exploited the religious emotions of Muslims, their victimhood,
the 'conspiracies ‘of the RSS and the Jews and reminiscences of the lost glory
of Muslims. That Blitz survived along with Nai Duniya reflects the fact that
Urdu speaking Muslim community at least till that time had a rational and
liberal section that preferred the journalism of Blitz over that of Nai Duniya.
Of course, Azad Qalam (last page column) of legendary journalist and filmmaker
Khwaja Ahmad Abbas also contributed to the popularity of Urdu Blitz.
One Urdu
weekly that deserves special mention was Nasheman. Published from Bangalore,
this 8 page weekly reached Urdu households in every part of the country
punctually because of its countrywide readership.
As for
children's literature, the period was also successful. Khilona was the most
popular children's Urdu magazine along with Phulwari, Noor etc. With the
closure of Shama group, Khilona also went down into history.
In later
period that is in the 90s crime magazines like Jaraim and Bhayanak Jaraim
became popular.
But by the
end of the millennium, the scenario of Urdu readership completely changed
because of gradual recession in Urdu readership. The reasons for this are very
difficult to understand. During this period, literacy among Muslims increased,
number of schools, colleges and departments of Urdu in universities increased
many fold but Urdu readership decreased. Because of lack of or decreased
readership, many popular Urdu magazines and periodicals went out of
publication. Huma, Bano, Chahar Rang, Biswin Sadi (now only two issues
of Biswin Sadi are published yearly), Jaraim, Bhayanak Jaraim, Baji, Gulabi
Kiran, Shama, Payam-Taleem, Bachon ki Nirali Duniya, etc have shut shop.
Those which are still into publication complain of lack of readership. They are
not visible. The golden period of Urdu language and literature seems to be
over.
Presently
magazines are published but they are printed in hundreds. And the variety is
missing. Variety in publication is the proof that a language is alive and
growing in every sphere of life. Nowadays, Urdu publication is limited to
literary magazines and periodicals. Magazines on science, health, economy,
films, sports and medicines are rare and those published have very few readers.
During the 80s and 90s, periodicals and magazines on sports and films were
published but now that period is over.
Literary
magazines like Ajkal (published by Publications Division) and literary
magazines published by state Urdu Academies and privately owned literary
magazines are in circulation but their readership is also very limited. Common
Urdu speaker does not buy literary magazines. Only poets and writers are the
buyers of literary magazines. In another words, Urdu books, magazines and
periodicals are not read in majority of Urdu speaking households today.
One main
reason for the lack of readership among Urdu speaking Muslims is the increasing
religiosity among them. Since a wrong interpretation of knowledge among Muslims
was circulated that only religious knowledge is encouraged by Islam and all
other fields of knowledge are un-Islamic, spending money on magazines and books
on science, fiction, poetry, history, Jasoosi Adab, Sex and erotica, sports, film,
business etc. was considered a waste of money. As the literacy increased, so
did religiosity. Copies of the holy Quran, some small collections of hadith,
books on Namaz and basic religious duties remained in Muslim households and all
other books and magazines were shown the door. Magazines or periodicals on
films, sports etc. became extinct. Urdu book stalls, therefore, only have
Quran, hadiths and books on religious issues or school text books. They do not
have novels of Wajeda Tabassum, Razia Butt, Manto, Krishan Chander, Bedi or
novels of Ibn-e-Safi or Ilyas Sitapuri because they have no takers today.
Blaming all
this on the reach of internet to every member of the society and the
preoccupation of people with social media can't be blamed because the aversion
of Urdu speaking community to reading had been witnessed long before the advent
of internet and android phone. Of course, internet and social media has only
aggravated the problem. Otherwise, in otter languages, people still read books,
magazines and periodicals inspite of being active on internet and social media.
In Bengal, for example, all the leading Bengali newspapers publish voluminous
special issues on Durga Puja ever year. These books are a part of celebration.
This is not the tradition among Muslims because books are not part of
celebrations or festivals in the Muslim community. Therefore, the real problem
is that we have attached learning with religion. Books that are not part of
religion are not part of a Muslim's life. This interpretation ignores the fact
that the holy companions sometimes asked the holy prophet pbuh questions on
conjugal lie and sometimes on cure of some physical ailments. The Quran asks
Muslims to do scientific research. Therefore, books on science, health
including sexual health, history etc can't be un-Islamic.
This
aversion to books and loss of reading habit has caused immense loss to learning
in the Urdu speaking Muslim community. Lack of readership has caused drawback
in research work and obstacles in the dissemination of knowledge among the
general Muslims. They are unaware of the new trends and developments in various
fields of knowledge. Our government organisations and NGOs and educationists
need to sit back together and chalk out a long term plan to cultivate an interest
in books and reading among the Muslim community.
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-society/urdu-muslims-community-magazines/d/125149
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