Jang: A trendsetter for Urdu newspapers

Urdu press has gone through an evolution over more than a century. Urdu newspapers started to emerge in the eighteenth century. Initially, most newspapers were apolitical and did not include political content. In the twentieth century, amidst political turmoil Urdu newspapers started giving more coverage to political developments. Eventually, Jang outshone its contemporaries and became a leading brand of journalism initially in India and later in Pakistan due to the endless efforts of Mir Khalil-ur-Rahman also known as the “Father of Urdu Journalism.”

After the partition Jang press was shifted from Delhi to Karachi and resumed its publication in 1949. It played a significant role in reporting new developments and helped the state in promoting a sense of nationhood through its narrative. Jang daily published messages of migrants coming from India who lost their families and friends during migration in an especially reserved section named “Muhajireen ke Paighamaat”.

Following are some of the quoted messages published in Jang after the partition, under the section Muhajireen ke Paighamaat:

“March 1, 1948: Fazlur Rehman son of Late Hakeem Maulvi Saeed-ur-Rehman left for Karachi from Kaiser Baagh Kothi No 8, Lucknow, accompanied by Mr Kifayat Ali. Despite searching for him I am not able to find him. If you (Fazlur Rehman) are reading this or anyone else has any information about him kindly inform at the given address below. (Afaq-ur-Rehman, Ramchandra Temple Road. Flat No 11, Karachi).”

“March 3, 1948: Bookseller Ahmed Hussain from Delhi, aged 80 years, wheatish complexion, wearing straight pyjama and kurta, has been missing from Jooria Bazaar, Karachi for three days. Whoever finds and brings him to the office of the Jang newspaper will be rewarded 25 rupees in cash. He can also tell his name. “

“Lady Doctor Hafeezan, (Teeliwarah, Delhi) if you are living in Karachi, kindly get in touch with Hafiz Qaari Hakeem Abdul Rasheed Lakhnavi. He can be reached at Raamswami Gari Khaata Parage G Street Building, Karachi. Hakeem Sahab has been permanently settled in Karachi.”

These are just few messages from the Jang archive. These messages not only reflect the plight of Muslim migrants, but also give a brief profile of these people and the sacrifices they rendered for reaching this land of pure.

The reason for the popularity and repute of the newspaper is that Jang and its progenitor, Mir Khalil-ur-Rahman introduced such patterns, styles and trends in terms of language and content in the newspaper that were followed by other news outlets as well.

Urdu newspapers possess a wider readership than English periodicals. The language and explanatory style makes the content understandable for the native population. Along with working on style and pattern to make the layout more compelling and comprehensive for readers, the quality of the content was also given primary importance.

The content of the newspaper was informative, objective and engaging for the readers of all age groups. To engage and reach a diverse readership, Jang invited students and children to publish their stories, and get recognition through it. The content was entertaining and informative for young readers.

The old issues of Jang had dedicated a detailed section of its newspaper for students and children. The content found in the archives of the Jang newspaper was informative and appealing to young readers. Sadly, in today’s time, newspapers do not have much content for children and youth.

The edition of “Nau Nihal League” was published for the first time on April 8, 1949. The sole purpose of this page was to educate, promote and arouse the interests of children in the Urdu language. This edition became so popular among children that they started writing for the paper. Those who used to write in Nau Nihal League, later on, became eminent writers like Iqbal Ahmed Siddiqui, Musarrat Jabeen, Haseena Moeen, Ghazi Salahuddin, and Reza Ali Abidi.

After a few years, the edition for children was published as “Bachon ki Dunya” and due to the increasing popularity, the page started to get published in two colours. Bachon ki Dunya also dedicated a column where different well-known personalities of that period shared their thoughts as Fatima Jinnah’s address to the children was published on July 11, 1969, and Begum Rana Liaquat Ali Khan shared her thoughts while appreciating the efforts made by Nau Nihal League. To educate children a section with the name “Kiya Tum Jaante Ho” or “Hidayat Naama” published a lot of informative content like what to watch on television, how to save your time etc. To freshen up the minds there were also a variety of sections like puzzles, poems, riddles, pictorial and comic stories, and Jang’s very famous “Tarzan ki Kahani”. Not just this but the page also included interesting tales from across the world with the name “Des Des ki Kanahiyan”. The most favourite section of children from Bachon Ki Dunya was “Bhaijaan ki Daak” which was edited by Shafi Aqeel famously known as Bhai Jaan. Children used to send letters from across the country for this section. Once a young reader, Syed Abid Jaafri shared his thoughts on the section of witticisms. He stated that the content of that section is for five or six years old children. He suggested including detailed interesting essays instead of jokes because the edition is for the children of the age group of 8 years old. He also recommended adding a page of an art gallery in which children would enhance their painting or sketching skills. In response to this suggestion, Bhai Jan affirmed that though the age limit to be a part of the Nau Nihal League is 8 years but there is no restriction of age to read Nau Nihal League. Therefore, we have to take care of the interests of all our readers.

Nau Nihal League played an important role in promoting a sense of patriotism and enhanced religious knowledge among young readers.

As the readership of the Nau Nihal League increased, another section “Aap Se Miliye” was introduced on July 11, 1949.

“Dear children, from now on, a new section with the name “Aap Se Miliye” will be published in Nau Nihal League in which League members will be able to communicate by writing messages to each other and they could become pen-friends. Communication should always be healthy and academic”.

For some time Bachon ki Dunya was discontinued. It was republished with a new title “Bachon ka Jang” with a colourful layout in 1978, and the content of the edition was also revised.

Jang is also known for its contribution and content for the students and youngsters. From covering events like extracurricular activities of students including literary competitions, ceremonies, and events, to providing a platform for students to publish their opinions or write-ups, Jang became a source of infotainment. This page also introduced writing, painting, speech and photography competitions with different themes and topics. This initiative gained huge popularity among students. In that period, not only boys but girls also actively participated in extracurricular activities and they were recognised for their efforts in news reports published by Jang.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that Jang nurtured generations through its well-informed content that attracted youngsters and children. Unfortunately, with the boom of social media, our young generation is losing the habit of reading and writing. It is sad to say that news outlets are not producing enough content for our children whether it is in print or digital media. But till today, Jang continues to publish its editions for children and youth, though the content has become very limited.

Media plays a prominent role in nation building. The content of Jang was in line with the society’s norms and apart from daily political news; the content was not polarised or controversial.

Press is known as the fourth pillar of the state, though it is a primary critic of the government and challenges the status quo. It reflects the ground realities and concerns of society. Jang promoted responsible journalism as a leading news outlet.

Initially, the content of newspapers was not analytical rather it comprised objective reporting. In this digital age when 24 hours news channels are providing the latest news to people every second, the content of almost all the newspapers has transformed into analytical pieces. As people gained information through news channels or different social media websites, they become rather interested in knowing the opinion of their favourite columnists or analysts about the current political or social issues. But no matter what, newspapers are still considered a more credible source of information than social media.

From the beginning, Jang has maintained its integrity in the field of journalism by bringing up factual and wholesome content for its readers. Today, when several newspapers are being published in different cities of the country, the importance and popularity of Jang is still intact. The journey that was started by the pioneer of Urdu journalism, Mir Khalil-ur-Rahman, is continued by the inheritors of his legacy.