Hyderabad: Telangana Government Adviser Mohammed Ali Shabbir urged Urdu journalists to strengthen their professional presence by attending major government events, asking questions fearlessly and expanding their coverage beyond community-specific issues.
Addressing the 10th anniversary celebrations and Annual Awards 2026 of the Telangana Urdu Working Journalists Federation (TUWJF) at the Telangana Media Academy in Nampally, he said Urdu journalism could grow only through stronger professional standards. He added that journalists must participate more actively in public affairs.
Shabbir Ali said Urdu journalists should report on governance, administration, development and politics. Moreover, he urged them not to limit themselves to minority or religious issues.
He expressed concern over their limited participation in press conferences addressed by the Chief Minister, ministers, Collectors and senior officials. According to him, they should also attend District Development Committee meetings and major government programmes.
He assured journalists of support if they faced difficulties entering official events. He urged them to come forward, question those in power and demonstrate their professional abilities.
Urdu journalists asked to protect language
Recalling his long association with Urdu, Shabbir Ali said he consciously promoted the language despite being proficient in Urdu, Telugu and English. Meanwhile, he noted that Urdu gradually lost its prominence after Independence. He added that Congress governments later granted the language second-language status and expanded its official recognition.
He said official recognition alone could not protect Urdu. Instead, the community should actively pursue its implementation. He cited the inclusion of Urdu on signboards at Kasu Brahmananda Reddy National Park after he raised the issue with officials.
Further, Shabbir Ali urged organisations to adopt peaceful democratic methods whenever authorities ignored Urdu in government offices or public institutions. He advised them to submit memoranda first. If officials failed to respond, they could organise demonstrations or relay hunger strikes.
The Adviser also explained the background of the Telangana Government’s Family Register Certificate. He said religious scholars highlighted Karnataka’s Permanent Resident Certificate system. The Chief Minister later directed officials to examine the proposal before introducing the new certificate.
Shabbir Ali advised families to maintain uniform names across educational and official records. In addition, he said many parents preferred English-medium education and often ignored Urdu as a subject. He said this trend also contributed to the language’s decline.
He praised journalists and photographers who continued reporting despite heavy rain and difficult conditions. Finally, he urged media professionals to question governments without hesitation, improve professional standards and ensure Urdu journalism remained visible at every major public platform.