AADHIKAR means rights. Updater report on 29 years of AADHIKAR Rights journalism

By © Muhammad Haque
1100 Hrs GMT
London
Wednesday 16 December 2009

AADHIKAR the weekly was devised in November 1980 and published on Monday 19 December 1980.

AADHIKAR is spelt like this in English as originally devised by Muhammad Haque in 1980.

Even after 29 years since then, the Asian language word is being transliterated inaccurately in many places.

The word [and the concept] AADHIKAR is probably the most universally recognised and shared one across the Subcontinent of Bangladesh, India and Pakistan.

Its appeal is direct.

And that is directly derived from the daily experience of lack of rights across the subcontinent.

That was the case in December 1980.

That is the case in December 2009.

AADHIKAR means rights.

But what rights?

Whose rights?


This is at the core of contention now.

As it was in 1980.

We shall be looking at the state of rights and the lack of rights in December 2009.

In the UK and beyond.

A word on the physical labour that went into the production of the launch issues of the weekly AADHIKAR:

The contents were mostly typed by Shah M Azizul Haque on a Bangla script manual typewriter.

Shah M Azizul Haque worked as the News Editor of the founding weekly AADHIKAR.

He worked the longest hours. The labour he put in was beyond remuneration. In any case, there was no material gain or monetary remuneration for the creation of the weekly AADHIKAR.

[To be continued]