The 'Musalman' is probably the last handwritten newspaper in the world. It has been published and read every day in South India's Chennai since 1927 in almost the same form. In the shadow of the Wallajah Mosque in Chennai, a team of six die hard workers still put out this hand-penned paper. Four of them are katibs -- writers dedicated to the ancient art of Urdu calligraphy. It's tough for the die-hard artists of Urdu calligraphy. But the story we tell here is not just of their desperation and despair. The fact is, at the office of 'The Musalman', the oldest Urdu daily in India, no one has ever quit. They work till they pass on. This is the story we tell.
When I visited Chennai in 2003, the crowded roads, the hallmarks of poverty and euphoria of resilient young population had been engraved in my memory.. I remember the 1000 Lights mosque, the St. Thome Cathedral and the pockets of the untouchables..!!
Incredible India is not only a successful slogan for tourism, but fact of Land, People and Time.. From a time to another, it became a routine to hear of extraordinary something happening in India.. The love Michael Wood has for India became a benchmark for me.. However, he is my favorite researcher and writer..
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