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New wordsmiths at work
JOURNALISM IS turning a new leaf. Silently, imperceptibly. Not quite alternate periodicals or papers but quite keen to make their presence felt. Close on the heels of Sahara's "Aalmi Sahara" comes "Lokayat". Both magazines aim to give their Urdu and Hindi readers respectively the joy of their English counterparts. While Sahara was launched earlier this year in a low-key fashion, hoping to grab attention with its content, there were no such niceties with "Lokayat". It sought instant recognition with a colourful launch in New Delhi. There was Teejan Bai to give Pandwani performance, there was Ramadhar sarathi, who plays eight instruments at a time, there was Rekha Davar, a well-known artist of Devar Karma. All this to launch a paper that promises to give enws and views in a more balanced manner. All for the launch of the magazine which aims to recover the lost glory of Hindi journalism.
"Through `Lokayat' our endeavour will be to revive the golden era of Hindi journalism which we all witnessed in the early 1970s," said its Editor, Paritosh Chakaravarty.
If "Lokayat", owned by J.P. Communications, endeavours to carve out a niche for itself in the world of news and current affairs magazines, "Aalmi Sahara" goes in a for a wider horizon. From Vajpayee to Bush, from Chinese Premier to Pakistan President, all have been seen on its glossy cover with a black frame, reminiscent of "India Today" in the early days. It is not quite "India Today" yet, not by a long, long shot. But it does endeavour to give Urdu readers a little more about Indian polity than just the Togadias or Imam Bukharis. It packs in some lifestyle features, probably a first for an Urdu magazine, besides some pages devoted to classical music.
Backing some astutely written political pieces are some features on Bollywood with interviews of film stars. Of course, many of the pictures might just be a shade disappointing for some one who has seen better fare in English dailies or magazines. Also, some of the stories come to its readers a little after some others have brought the same to the Hindi or English readers. But the fact that the Urdu readers are not quite used to colour on their page should go in its favour. A bit more `newsiness' and a bit more style might just clinch the issue for this 60-odd page periodical.
There is more to come. Beyond "Sahara" and "Lokayat". Tehelka, which lived up to its name in the past few years, is poised to make a comeback. This time as people's paper, thanks to the efforts of many noble souls who thought "freedom should not be suppressed". Happy reading.
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