Thanks, Dr. Ehsan, for this really touching story. I have to agree with the writer that it is a lot more pleasant to read hand-calligraphed Urdu than to read computer generated text. --Mike Medley On Tue, Sep 16, 2008 at 12:20 PM, Ehsan Ahmed <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > > Here is an interesting story, which appeared in the Wall Street Journal > Today: > > > > CHENNAI, India -- After his father died in April, Syed Arifullah took the > reins of a newspaper that stands out even in India's increasingly crowded > media market. > > The Musalman, the oldest Urdu-language daily paper in India, has been > handwritten by Urdu calligraphers since it was founded by Mr. Arifullah's > grandfather 81 years ago. > > "That is the advantage of this paper," said Mr. Arifullah, 30 years old. > "This is easier to read, and the lettering is more graceful." > > India's Handwritten Daily > > View Slideshow > > The Musalman has retained its old-school look despite the availability of > Urdu computer fonts and an onslaught of new media in India. The country's > economic boom has spawned hundreds of television channels and dozens of > newspapers and magazines. > > The handwritten stories are the Musalman's biggest selling point. The paper > has about 23,000 subscribers, most in this southern city, who pay less than > $10 a year. The calligraphers, known as katibs, who transcribe its headlines > and articles use the swooping horizontal strokes of Nastaliq, one of the > most fluid styles of Islamic calligraphy. Urdu, a mix of Arabic, Persian and > local Indian languages, was the language of the Mughal royal courts and is > still spoken by more than 50 million people in India. > > Parvez Ali, a truck driver, has subscribed to the Musalman for 15 years. The > 32-year-old resident of Chennai said the calligraphy appeals to him, and he > wants to support a paper available in his language. "It is unique," he said. > "We get a personal touch when the newspaper is written by hand." > > The paper endeavors to cover a wide range of topics in its four pages, with > international to local news, editorials and a special Urdu poetry section > every Friday. > > The paper has about 10 part-time reporters who write in English and fax > their stories to Mr. Arifullah every morning. It takes as long as 30 minutes > to translate the stories to Urdu. Then they are handed to the three katibs, > who dip their reed quills into capfuls of ink and start writing. Three hours > later, they are done. Negatives are made from the handwritten pages and > pressed onto printing plates. > > "I like it a lot," said Rehaman Hussein, the 51-year-old calligrapher > responsible for the first two pages. "But there is no money in it." He > started at the paper as an apprentice 25 years ago. Today he earns less than > $2 a day. > > Mr. Arifullah's father edited the paper 40 years, up to his death. Putting > Mr. Arifullah in charge was a decision taken by his mother and two older > brothers. > > "Because I am the youngest one, they decided," he said. "If they say you run > the business, I have to run the business." The paper struggles to turn a > profit, but Mr. Arifullah said that it is a family heirloom and that he > won't shut it down "at any cost." > > Since taking over, Mr. Arifullah has focused on improving the paper without > taking away from its old-world charm. He had a computer and printer > installed in his office in June so advertisers could email ads. Most of the > advertising comes from local jewelry and clothing stores. > > "I have to fight to get advertisements," he said. "Most companies these days > have a budget for English and the local language. In Chennai's case, that is > Tamil. That means fewer advertisers will advertise in an Urdu newspaper." > > While the paper's operations are tiny, the Musalman has had its moment in > the national spotlight. Mr. Arifullah said his father was fond of telling a > story about how the Musalman once came to symbolize a more modern India. At > a press conference given by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, the > reporter for the Hindu, a national daily, was Muslim, while the reporter for > the Musalman was Hindu. Mrs. Gandhi noticed and announced to the gathering > that this is what she meant by national integration. > > > > > > > >