MOHAMMAD NAUSHAD KHAN reports the historic event of Golden Jubilee Celebration of Radiance Viewsweekly.
All Muslim organisations revolve around four or five issues; there is no sixth issue. All of them can come together on one single point – leaving their separate agenda and differences, if any, aside. And the single point is that all of us strive together to assert that solution to all human problems lies in Islam, and to invite the nation and the countrymen to consider the solution Islam presents for the various problems the country and countrymen have been confronted with. This view was expressed by Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Omari, Chairman Board of Islamic Publications (BIP) – which has been running Radiance Viewsweekly since its inception in 1963 – and Amir Jamaat-e-Islami Hind while presiding over the Golden Jubilee Celebration programme of the weekly at India Islamic Cultural Centre in the capital on 29 September.
He urged people to find solution to their problems in the light of the Qur’ān and Sunnah because therein lies solution to all human problems.
Maulana Omari also threw light on the situation in the post-Independence era that gave birth to Radiance. “It’s a great achievement that Radiance has completed 50 years, overcoming all constraints,” he said while highlighting the importance of community media particularly when the national media is playing a partisan role vis-à-vis the Muslim community. The mainstream media generally ignore the very existence of the community and even if the community finds some space therein, it is generally the portrayal of the negative image of the community, he lamented.
The BIP chief said one remarkable feature of Radiance is that it covers every issue in Islamic perspective. “Radiance has raised various important issues like minority character of Aligarh Muslim University and Jamia Millia Islamia, Urdu, Muslim Personal Law and Babri Masjid. The weekly also highlighted social and human rights issues such as Sati, Dowry, Female Foeticide and atrocities on weaker sections of the society. Palestine issue has also been highlighted strongly. In fact even Urdu media did not highlight the Palestine issue as strongly as Radiance did. When Iraq attacked Kuwait, all media supported Iraq but Radiance was of the view that no nation has any right to attack and capture another nation. Kuwait authorities also appreciated it,” said Maulana Omari.
Fifty years is a milestone and completing it successfully despite limitations and constraints is really a big achievement for all associated with Radiance. In order to celebrate its Golden Jubilee, its readers, friends, well-wishers as well as mentors gathered at IICC. It was a proud moment for all those assembled to mark the occasion and the smile on their faces revealed their zeal and eagerness to do more in the years to come in order to represent the voice of the community in a more meaningful manner.
Speaking as Chief Guest, veteran columnist and former diplomat Kuldip Nayar said that Partition harmed the Muslim community the most because it divided the community and because of Partition Muslims in India were rendered a minority community while before Partition Muslims had never been recognised as a minority. Kuldip Nayar, who is also a peace activist and a symbol of secularism (better say pluralism) in India, and whose celebrated column “Between the Lines” found place in Radiance for almost two decades, emphasised the need to protect, preserve and promote secularism.
With a sense of emphasis in his tone, he said that it becomes the responsibility of the minority community to “secularise Hindus”. He further said that during troubled times or disturbances in our neighbourhood or during riots it is only the Muslim community that suffers the most, and towards the end a Hindu-Muslim riot in India gets transformed into a conflict between police and Muslims. He also stressed greater Hindu-Muslim unity with close social contact and interaction and urged them to refrain from living in ghettoes.
Speaking on the occasion, Syed Shahabuddin, former diplomat, Member of Parliament and President All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat, categorically said that over the years Radiance has become the mouthpiece of the community and that he is an avid reader of the magazine. “I have found Radiance to be more trustworthy than other newspapers and magazines that I get in the office and I read Radiance the most. The noteworthy point of Radiance is that it does not fuel the fire of sectarianism and communalism but rather it has followed the path of tolerance in its approach and contents,” he averred.
Dr. Zafarul-Islam Khan, Editor, The Milli Gazette and President All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat, said that he was aware of Radiance right from his school days. He had written articles in the weekly while he was studying abroad. He said that despite all achievements a lot more is required to be done by the community or existing Muslim media to make their voice heard and talked upon. The Muslim media has to be more sensitive to the issues that matter them the most. The coverage of Muzzaffarnagar riots by Muslim media was not as it required to be.
Dr. Kalbe Sadiq, renowned Shia leader, stressed the need for building greater unity among Muslims by putting an end to all kinds of sectarian differences. He urged the community members to get united by deriving a single mission, keeping on the backburner all issues and differences that are impediments in the way of unity and brotherhood. He asked Amir JIH to formulate a unity plan and expressed his eagerness to support his endeavour wholeheartedly.
Expressing his close association with Radiance, Dr. Javed Jamil, a medical practitioner and renowned community leader, recalled his days of medical student life and informed the audience how it transpired to him that there is great wisdom in the process of wudu (ablution), and then he wrote an article, “The Analytical Analysis of Wudu” which was published in Radiance in 1978. He said his another article, “The Analytical Study of Namaz” was published in the weekly in an Eid al-Adha special issue.
Dr. Jamil asserted that the Constitution mentions Fundamental Rights, Fundamental Duties and Fundamental Prohibitions. “The government does talk of Fundamental Rights and Fundamental Duties but it hardly talks of Fundamental Prohibitions.” This is so because the entire system is based on atheism and human susceptibilities.
Dr. Jamil advised Radiance to further widen the scope, to write more on health and social problems, and to invite the world that it should run on principles and ideology.
Earlier, in the beginning of the programme, Intizar Naeem, former Director Radiance threw light on the 50-year journey of Radiance.
Major highlights of the programme included release of Golden Jubilee Special issue dated 29 September-5 October 2013 at the hands of Chairman BIP and Amir JIH Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Omari along with other dignitaries present on the dais. This 220-page special issue is the gist of the coverage of Radiance on the various issues confronting the nation and the community since its inception, and thus records the various ups and downs the Muslims in India have experienced in the various fields in Independent India.
Another highlight was presentation of a 9-minute 50-second documentary on the 50-year journey of Radiance by Mr. Yawer Rahman. It was an effort to present a mosaic of the achievements of Radiance on the screen.
Yet another highlight of the event was introduction of new website (radianceweekly.in) presented by Mr. Kamal Ahmad, Manager Radiance.
On this festive occasion, Radiance also recognised the services of its former Deputy Editor, Dr. S. Ausaf Saied Vasfi and some former journalists. Dr. Vasfi was conferred with Life Time Achievement Award along with a citation signed by Chairman BIP Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Omari. The citation reads inter alia: “In recognition of his lifelong hard work, dedicated service and sincere contribution, today Radiance feels proud to present this award.” It was an emotional moment while Dr. Vasfi was being awarded for his five-decade association with Radiance in various capacities.
Some journalists who had rendered their services at the desk of Radiance but are now working elsewhere were given mementos in recognition of their services to the weekly. They include Syed Zubair Ahmad, Mumtaz Alam, Shafaq Alam and Leichombam Kullajit. Some other former members of Editorial staff of Radiance who were not present at the time of conferring the mementoes include Liaqat Husain, A.U. Asif, Abdul Wasey, and others.
The programme was compered by Mr. Ejaz Ahmed Aslam, Editor-in-Chief of Radiance, himself. Sikandar Azam, Editor of the weekly, extended vote of thanks to the honourable speakers, dignitaries and delegates, Event Manager S Akbar Hasan of Let’sTrav and volunteers, etc. He also thanked Khan Yasir, a budding journalist and research scholar of Delhi University, for his great services rendered to the weekly during the preparation of the Golden Jubilee Special Issue.