Dear Friends,

Greetings from Charkha!

This October is the month of Charkha’s eleventh anniversary. Through the better use of modes of communication, the aim of Charkha has been to bring to the national consciousness, an accurate and authentic portrayal of developmental activities and issues at the level of the grassroots, together with a search for possible solutions, so that the marginalised and deprived can improve their lot. For this purpose, Charkha has been able to place articles and feature-stories on developmental issues in different newspapers and magazines through its Feature Services in Hindi and English. It also conducts writing skill and communication workshops in rural areas for rural writers and activists.

Charkha realises that Urdu is spoken, understood and read by a significant portion of India’s population. The language was born out of the commingling of various strands of India’s social and cultural fabric centuries ago; it then developed here and echoed every modulation of Indian society. Urdu is an integral part of our country’s multi-lingual legacy. We are all aware of the critical and unforgettable role that Urdu played in our freedom struggle and thereafter in the creation and progress of independent India. Keeping in mind the cultural and historical importance of Urdu and its ability to connect with many millions, Charkha decided to launch its own Urdu Feature Service for Development, strengthening its existing English and Hindi Feature Service.

The Urdu media has consistently voiced the concerns and issues of the marginalised and ensured that they reach the corridors of power. This is precisely Charkha’s objective and that of our Urdu Feature Service.

Charkha’s Urdu Feature Service was launched on 2nd October, 2005, as a humble tribute to the Father of our Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, the messiah of peace and non-violence, on his birthday. Bapuji strongly believed in and advocated peace and development. Charkha continues to strive to achieve his ideals through the vehicle of communications.

I cannot end without mentioning the two tragedies that struck our nation this month: the Kashmir earthquake on 8th October and the serial bomb blasts in Delhi on 29th October. Charkha is directly involved in providing relief to the sufferers of the Kashmir earthquake through its local coordinator. As regards the Delhi blasts, we salute the indomitable spirit of the people of Delhi and share the anguish and sorrow of those victims and their families who were affected.


Nileen Putatunda