Know about India’s oldest handwritten newspaper

Each newspaper has its style. Character pattern, size, and font are different from one newspaper to another. In today’s times, they are designed on a computer. Once upon a time, a typewriter typed news and printed Newspapers. However, the Chennai-based Urdu newspaper “The Musalman” is even more different because the employees handwrite every news item in that newspaper. The handwritten news is printed and sent to the readers. This newspaper, which has been running tirelessly for 94 years, is known as the only handwritten newspaper globally.

Syed Arifullah is the editor of The Musalman Urdu newspaper and has less than ten employees. It is housed in an 800-square-foot room. The four-page newspaper employs calligraphy skills to handwrite, commonly called Cathibs, which takes them at least three hours to report the news on each page. If there is a single mistake in the information, one must write it from the beginning on the new page again. After writing without errors, they are converted into copies and then published so that national and international news is on the front page, followed by local news on 2, 3 pages and Sports news on the fourth page.

Arifullah decided to keep the handwritten news tradition alive, which was once started by his grandfather. Arifullah made it clear that he had no intention of giving it a digital form and would not change the newspaper publishing system started by his grandfather. However, since advertising is the only source of revenue for a newspaper, advertisements made by various companies are computer-generated and pasted on the pages of the newspaper. Also, the logo of the newspaper gets printed and pasted on it. The newspaper was run on revenue from advertising by the government and other private companies.

94 years of legacy

Arifullah’s grandfather Syed Azmatullah started the Urdu newspaper ‘The Musalman’ in 1927 in a small house on Triplicane High Road in Chennai. They wrote the news with their own hands, printed it, and distributed it. Azmatullah founded the newspaper as he did not think there was an Urdu newspaper that would cover local news for Musalmans. The information gets published in such a way since then. Although many have called for the newspaper to be further developed and technology used, Azmatullah has decided to continue the newspaper in the handwriting style only.

Three generations of editors

After Azmatullah’s death, his son Fazullah took over as editor of the newspaper. Fazullah has three sons and four daughters. Fazullah died in 2008, claiming that the handwritten newspaper would end on its own as everyone settled into different professions. With this, one of his sons, Arifullah, set out to continue the newspaper run by his grandfather and father. Arifulla, who has completed his MBA, quit many jobs and took over the company’s responsibilities—currently serving as Chief Editor.

Nationwide subscribers

The newspaper was read by Muslims and others who can read Urdu, The Musalman Urdu Newspaper. It sells 22,000 copies a day. One can pay an annual subscription of ₹ 400 and get this newspaper every day, not only in Chennai. The newspaper has subscribers all over the country in Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata. Despite the massive amount of hard work involved, this newspaper never ceased publishing.