Hyderabad, May 16 (Maxim News): Former Indian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia and former Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, Dr Ausaf Sayeed, said Urdu journalism has rendered honest and professional service to society and continues to uphold the voice of truth with commitment and integrity.
He was addressing the Naseem Arifi Urdu Media Awards 2025 ceremony organised by the Centre for Excellence in Training Innovation (CETI) at the Telangana Media Academy in Nampally Hyderabad on Saturday.
Dr Ausaf Sayeed said Urdu journalists always played the role of eyewitnesses to society and maintained high ethical standards in reporting. He stressed that encouraging young journalists had become essential in the present era. He added that the awards were not merely honours but an attempt to acknowledge the contributions of journalists who worked tirelessly for society.
He said Urdu journalists spend their entire day in public service through journalism and deserve recognition for their dedication. Referring to the challenges before Urdu media, he said readership in Urdu newspapers was gradually declining. However, he expressed satisfaction that print media still retained relevance despite the rapid expansion of electronic media platforms.
The event honoured senior journalist Masoom Moradabadi with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Other recipients included Dr Yameen Ansari, Resident Editor of Roznama Inquilab, senior journalist Rohini Singh, Fazal Baig and photojournalist Mohammed Aleemuddin.
Speakers Stress Modernisation And Ethical Journalism
Recalling his long association with late journalist Naseem Arifi, Dr Ausaf Sayeed said Arifi worked consistently to modernise Urdu journalism and elevate its standards. He noted that Naseem Arifi rendered remarkable services through several Urdu newspapers and ETV Urdu. He described Masoom Moradabadi as “Hafiz e Sahafat” for his vast knowledge of Urdu journalism and media history.
CETI Foundation founder Syed Basharat Ali welcomed the guests and congratulated all award recipients. He said the foundation would continue recognising distinguished services in Urdu journalism.
Telangana Media Academy Chairman Srinivas Reddy said personalities like Abid Ali Khan and Naseem Arifi took Urdu journalism to great heights. He appreciated CETI Foundation for recognising Urdu journalists and assured all possible support for such initiatives.
Senior journalist Masoom Moradabadi said journalism had increasingly turned into a profession mixed with commission, which was unfortunate. He stressed that honesty, patience and hard work remained essential qualities for journalists. He said success in journalism never comes instantly and journalists must struggle consistently to earn credibility and public trust.
He added that journalists carry the responsibility of protecting social values and should continue serving society with courage and responsibility.
Dr Yameen Ansari said the award was not merely an honour but also a motivation to continue responsible journalism. He noted that Urdu journalism had completed nearly 200 years and played a key role in India’s social and national development.
Award recipient Rohini Singh said Urdu should never be linked to any particular religion. She revealed that she completed a one year Urdu diploma course over two years and learned the language gradually word by word and sentence by sentence. She stressed the need for better Urdu software tools and online dictionaries to help younger generations learn the language effectively.
Professor Ehtesham said the award selection process was conducted transparently and honestly. He also announced that Maulana Azad National Urdu University would soon introduce a film making course in line with modern media requirements.
Economist Dr Amirullah Khan conducted the proceedings and paid tribute to Naseem Arifi’s journalistic legacy. Senior journalist and former Press Council of India member MA Majid proposed the vote of thanks and congratulated all award winners.
Several prominent personalities, including Prof Hasnain, Aziz Ahmed, Umar Draz Khan, Dr Fazal Hussain Parvez, Jaffer Hussain, Mohammed Sadiq and senior photojournalist Mohammed Saeeduddin, were also felicitated for their contributions to journalism and public life.
A large number of journalists, writers, doctors, engineers, educationists and social activists attended the programme and paid tribute to the services of late Naseem Arifi. (Maxim News)
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