With the launch of three collections of his journalistic columns, Safdar Imam Qadri has set a high standard for journalists in Bihar: Dr. Rehan Ghani.
In no other place in the world, including the US, can you find as many students of the new generation interested in Urdu as you can in Bihar: Suhail Waheed.

Patna: Contemporary Urdu journalism faces a major challenge in terms of its ability to learn from its history. Over the past two centuries, Urdu journalism has experienced many ups and downs and undergone numerous changes. In the age of modern technology, journalism has continued to adapt to new techniques, but in the rush for commercialization, Urdu newspapers and magazines are struggling. Urdu journalism needs to reassess its work in light of national and international standards. It must redefine itself in terms of the art of journalism, language skills, technical expertise, and the changing norms of news reporting.

The Bazm-e-Sadaf International seminar in Munnaar brought together a large number of experts in Urdu journalism and literature from various states and districts. The seminar's theme was "Column Writing in Contemporary Urdu Journalism: An Evaluation," and selected papers were presented on this topic. The seminar highlighted the challenges facing Urdu journalism.

Inaugurating the seminar, renowned writer and former member of the Bihar Public Service Commission, Shafee Mushhadi, revealed that his career began in Urdu journalism. He received his first salary while working for an Urdu newspaper in Delhi. He congratulated Bazm-e-Sadaf for organizing the seminar on a critical topic in Urdu journalism. He said that column writing is the backbone of any newspaper and determines how well democratic values are being protected. He also stated that in today's era, when the administration, legislature, and judiciary are under pressure, it is essential to protect the fourth pillar of democracy, journalism.

Sayed Muhammad Ashraf Farid, Chief Editor of Qaumi Tanzeem and patron of the Urdu Action Committee, acknowledged Safdar Imam Qadri's journalistic services and recalled the time when Qadri joined Qaumi Tanzeem 40 years ago. He praised Qadri's academic seriousness and literary and journalistic work, calling him the "Imam" of contemporary Urdu journalism and column writing. He drew attention to the problems faced by Urdu journalism and urged collective efforts to address these challenges.

Noted critic and columnist Professor Safdar Imam Qadri discussed the history of Urdu journalism and presented examples of its challenges. He suggested ways to improve Urdu journalism, such as providing better training for journalists and promoting a more serious approach to language and literature. He looked forward to the day when Urdu newspapers would be able to compete with Hindi and English newspapers in terms of the breadth and technical quality of their columns.

Renowned journalist, writer, and short story writer Dr. Suhail Waheed presented the keynote address, discussing the background of column writing in Urdu and recalling famous columnists in Hindi and English. He praised Urdu journalists who have enhanced the prestige of the language through their column writing. He highlighted the unique features of Safdar Imam Qadri's columns, which demonstrate his intellectual and scholarly approach.

Sahitya Akademi award-winning writer Dr. Zafar Kamali compared the old and new worlds of Urdu journalism and explained why contemporary journalism is weakening. He did not consider the absence of witty columns in newspapers to be a good sign. He suggested that the columns of prominent journalists from the current era and the recent past should be compiled into books. He mentioned Ghulam Sarwar, Fikr Tonsvi, Rehan Ghani, Rashid Ahmed, and others whose published columns could be published in book form.

Bazm-e-Sadaf Chairman Shahabuddin Ahmed (Qatar) described the organization's global literary activities and shared the story of Safdar Imam Qadri's literary and educational development. He said that the entire Bazm-e-Sadaf team is always ready for new and major global events and is looking for new opportunities.

Director of the Urdu Directorate, Government of Bihar, S.M. Parvez Alam, discussed the challenges faced by Urdu journalism and emphasized the need to expand its scope to include global issues, economics, and new questions. He stressed the importance of including these topics in Urdu newspaper columns.

Former Chairman of the Bihar Public Service Commission, Imtiaz Ahmed Karimi, advocated for training Urdu students for competitive exams and highlighted the potential for them to secure thousands of jobs using their mother tongue. He set a target for university teachers, school teachers, and translators to create an environment that promotes Urdu and eliminates the sense of inferiority that pervades the language.

Arshad Firoz, Chairman of the Government Urdu Library, considered the presence of prominent Urdu writers in the library's new building to be a historic opportunity. He praised Safdar Imam Qadri's columns, which he said are diverse and deal with profound topics. He described the simultaneous publication of two voluminous collections of Qadri's columns as a historic achievement.

The compilers of Safdar Imam Qadri's column collections, Dr. Anayatullah Nadvi and Qamaruzzaman Champarani, discussed the process of editing and compiling the columns, which they undertook due to the academic significance of the work.

The inaugural session was chaired by noted journalist Dr. Rehan Ghani, who also presented a paper on contemporary column writing in Bihar. He discussed the declining moral and academic standards of Urdu journalists and the impact on their reputation. He recalled the time when newspaper columns and editorials could not only draw the attention of those in power but also engage in direct conversation with them. He praised the discipline and regularity of Safdar Imam Qadri's column writing and said that Qadri has set a high standard for journalists in Bihar with the publication of three collections of his columns.

Dr. Rehan Ghani also remembered prominent columnists such as Ghulam Sarwar, Muhammad Abdul Rauf, Muhammad Marghoob, Riaz Azimabadi, Shahid Ramnagri, and Syed Ahmed Qadri, who have set a precedent for good journalism through their work. He emphasized that new journalists can learn a lot from these veterans.

The seminar was moderated by Dr. Afshan Bano of the Urdu Department, Patna University. The paper-reading session was chaired by Professor Muhammad Zaheedul Haq of Hyderabad University, and participants included Dr. Waliullah Qadri (Chhapra), Dr. Tayyab Naimani (Kolkata), Dr. Abdul Hai (Gaya), Dr. Mani Bhushan Kumar (Patna), Dr. Tayyab Farqani (West Bengal), Dr. Abdul Wadud Qasmi (Darbhanga), Dr. Sabir Reza Rahbar Musabahi (Madhepura), Dr. Muhammad Murshid (Jharkhand), Muhammad Sharfuddin (Hajipur), Muhammad Marjan Ali (Chhapra), Muhammad Abu Rafe (Patna), and Muhammad Firoz Alam (Veerkunwar Singh University, Ara). They presented papers on the history of Urdu column writing, the contributions of prominent columnists, and the challenges facing Urdu journalism.

The seminar was highly successful, with a large number of participants from various districts of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The hall was packed throughout the event, and the audience listened intently to the presentations. The seminar's impact will be felt for a long time in the literary and academic circles of Uttar Pradesh.