Starting its journey five decades ago by its founder editor Padma Shri Janab Abid Ali Khan Sahab, it continued to strive hard in fulfilling basic objectives ‘inform, educate and entertain’ of any media vehicle. Leafing through history of ethical journalism, it transformed itself from merely a newspaper to a lifetime companion of its readers by acting as a true mirror of the world through unbiased news coverage, independent reporting and secular policies.

Eversince its birth on 15th August 1949 by a die hard freedom fighter, Padma Shri Abid Ali Khan along with his good friend Janab Mahboob Hussain Jigar Saheb, who was then Joint Editor, it added many firsts to its credit. New generation took over. Old ideals remained unchanged. The current editor Janab Zahid Ali Khan Saheb, continued the time tested age old values and its rich traditions.

Siasat became the first Urdu Newspaper in South India to have computerised by developing its own version of Urdu Software on 15th August 1989, it became the first Urdu Daily in South India to publish in multi-colour on 15th August 1995, it was also the first urdu newspaper to launch its internet edition on 15th August 1997, which today gets almost close to 3 lakh hits across the globe from over 107 countries every day. Which is by any standards is a big achievement. With many firsts to its credit, it boasts of the first choice of 40 per cent of Hyderabadis whose mother tongue is Urdu. What is so interesting about all its activities has been, they were all launched on 15th August, including the launch of Beta Version of this Urdu e-paper which was launched on 15th August 2004.

Hyderabad,is the city of Nawabs and Kababs, Biryani and Sherwani, Pearls and Paigahs, Minarets and Modern buildings. True to the culture of its place of origin, Siasat clubs age old customs and traditions with modern technology to present perfect blend of both the worlds. It is the most tech savvy Urdu newspaper one can come across in the country. It changed along with the changing times. It travelled fifty five years constantly providing the news and views that its readers always longed for. While continuing to disseminate information day after day, it discharged its social obligations by doing numerous charity activities. Probably it is one of the very few newspapers across all the languages in South India to be the most socially conscious newspaper.

-MK
Reachout's News Bureau
November' 2004

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