Wednesday, December 30, 2020

Media covers up right-wing groups' inflammatory acts and vandalism in Ujjain, Indore and Mandsaur


Shams Ur Rehman Alavi

The role of local media during the violence in Ujjain, Indore and Mandsaur where right-wing groups took out rallies, has been shocking to say the least.

The tilt of Hindi media and local TV channels in North India, is not a new phenomenon.

But the manner in which the acts of provocation were covered up, takes the art of 'embedded journalism' to another level. 

Despite the shocking images, neither the videos, nor the acts of extreme provocation, were reported at all. 

The incidents in all the three places--Ujjain, Indore and Mandsaur, were given a twist and headlines were similar in TV channels as well as newspapers. 

The 'rallies were targeted' became the standard line, as if there was a communique send from an org's office and orders given to just stick to it, and not report anything at all.

Rather than questioning role of administration or how these rallies were allowed and why no responsibility is fixed on officials, papers put the blame on victims. There was nothing on TV about these acts of vandalism at mosque. 

Also, no anchor or editor questioning Collector, SP. Till a few years ago, any newspaper report would have raised questions on failure of intelligence. Also, restrictions on big gatherings continue due to Covid 19, yet, they were flouted.


But there was not a single report that mentioned these aspects. Neither it was asked why there was witch-hunt against the victims, why one-sided action taken, the houses were demolished swiftly and cases registered under NSA. 

Years ago, it was mentioned that how the vandals and rioters often boasted, 'Ye andar ki baat hai, P.... hamare sath hai'. Now, perhaps, this P might stand for Patrakar or Press too?

Sunday, December 27, 2020

Policeman carries elderly woman pilgrim for 6 km after she faints: Communal Harmony Project-56

 

A policeman has received praise from all corners after he carried a woman on his shoulder for six kilometers.

The policeman, Sheikh Arshad, who hails from Andhra Pradesh, carried the 58-year-old woman, who was on a pilgrimage.

She was going to the temple of Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala Hills when due to exhaustion, she fainted.

Sheikh Arshad found her lying her in a semi-conscious state. He says that it was his duty and that when he saw her, he thought of his mother. 

Finally, she was administered medication. “When I saw her in a semi-conscious state, I thought of her as my mother and wanted to help her. There’s nothing great in what I did. It was just my duty, and service to Lord Venkateswara,” Arshad says, as quoted in a newspaper report. LINK.

Nageswaramma was on a pilgrimage and was walking the steep 18 km long pathway, when she had fainted. The temple is located in West Godavari district in Andhra. Shekh Arshad got praise from top cops apart from appreciation on social media.

READ‘Was just doing my duty’, says Cop who carried elderly Tirumala pilgrim for 6 km

[Harmony exists all around us but is often ignored. Instead, stories of hate, discord and communalism get spread easily. 

There are a million examples in our daily lives across India but they don't get promoted, hence, news of hate and discord gets heard more. Let's change it, now. 

This is a small attempt to change it through Communal Harmony Project] For reading similar reports on this blog, Click the link HERE and also find out more about Communal Harmony Project]

#Communalharmony #Communalharmonyproject #India

Saturday, December 26, 2020

Muslim man donates precious land for temple construction: Communal Harmony Project-55


A Muslim man donated precious ancestral land for expansion of a temple in Karnataka.

The temple management needed land because a part was coming under highway project.

When HMG Basha came to know that the temple committee needed land, he decided to gift the land, rather than sell it. 

The has been reported from Hoskote near Bengaluru in Karnataka. Basha says that the communities have been living together for centuries and unity is must for progress. He transferred the land to the trust, free of cost. LINK 

The temple authorities and local residents were so delighted that they put up a hoarding with his photograph along with his wife's photo on the premises, thanking him for the gesture. 

People were surprised and lauded him. Now the temple trust is planning to revamp the temple. Basha said that people were struggling for space to go around the temple and hence he took the decision, reports The News Minute. 

Photo Courtesy--The News Minute.

[Harmony exists all around us but is often ignored. Instead, stories of hate, discord and communalism get spread easily.

There are innumerable examples of harmony in our daily lives across India but they don't get promoted, hence, news of hate and discord gets noticed more. Let's change it, now. 

This is a small attempt to change it through Communal Harmony Project]

For reading similar reports on this blog, Click the link HERE and also find out more about Communal Harmony Project]

#Communalharmony #Communalharmonyproject #India

Tuesday, December 22, 2020

Media working as agent of right-wing: Inter-faith marriages are hailed when groom is Hindu, targeted if groom is Muslim


Shams Ur Rehman Alavi

Media houses that take up active role in case of inter-religious marriages when groom is Muslim & create havoc with inflammatory reports, suddenly turn liberal when a Hindu man marries a Muslim girl & term it 'breaking shackles of religion. 

These are clear double standards. They hail any marriage in which a Muslim girl marries a Hindu man, but if a Muslim man marries a Hindu girl, it is termed 'Love Jihad' and there is not just strong condemnation but law misused to target the couple. 

This is exactly the stand of the far right-wing that was termed 'fringe' till now, as they considered it a sort of 'victory'. However, media houses too follow the same strategy and this is something that needs to be understood.

Above, the news reports show two instances of inter-faith marriages in two states, published in different Hindi papers. In both the cases, Muslim girls married Hindu boys through Hindu rituals. And, the papers praise the act. 

In case, groom is Muslim, papers create so much hatred using the word 'Love Jihad' that not just groom, his family also suffers. Either you support all inter-faith marriages or none. Here, Hindi papers become 'Hindu papers', who write in order to send the message to the society that Hindus should bring Muslim brides and if a Muslim groom gets a Hindu bride, they ought to be punished.

Here, journalists take up the role of agents of right-wing and wear identity and religion on their sleeve. They are not journalists, they are not just some unethical people or involved in false reporting. In fact, they have been preparing the ground for fascists to take over the society, by dividing people. 

It is media, many journalists in these newsrooms who work as mercenaries of hate and spread poison in society. It is they who are responsible for communalism & hate that results in assaults, false cases, lives getting lost.  

And, it doesn't stop at marriages. For decades, they have been injecting this slow poison from newsrooms--injecting communalism, hate, distrust of other community, and doing their job with zealousness & doing it cleverly. In ordinary reports, not easy to spot how twists are given.

They have innumerable ideas, if 'Love Jihad' propaganda gets a bit too much to handle, they will come with another. The problem is this level of indoctrination that makes 'journos' misuse their power to spread hate, put harmony of country at stake, is ignored.

Every story gets twisted, based on these biases. This is the gutter level to which Indian Journalism has fallen into.  They will never share data, statistics, just mislead society.  There was one radio station in Rwanda, but we've innumerable media houses, packed with such people peddling this agenda of hate, under the garb of 'journalism'.

READ: How newspapers, TV channels in India create the bogey of 'Love Jihad' 

Sunday, December 20, 2020

How journalism based on 'anonymous sources' leads to violation of rights and destroys lives: Tablighi Jamaat members suffered due to media's misinformation campaign


Shams Ur Rehman Alavi

Earlier this year, after a media misinformation campaign, Tablighi Jamaat members were booked across the country and they were sent to prisons. 

Due to the hostile and one-sided reporting, harsh sections of IPC were used in several places and they were denied bail. 

The result was that they spent a long time in jail, for no reason. It took nearly months before many of them could get bail or were acquitted.

Now that courts have discharged most of them, a lot of people talk about justice being done finally. However, the point is that it comes after a long ordeal, punishment for no reason, the suffering and spending time in jail. The issue is this process that punishes.

The Tablighi Jamaat members who were not even tested positive for Coronavirus, were accused of 'spreading the virus'. They were targeted, blamed, booked, sent to jails. Media was willing partner in this vilification that was used to harass Muslims, even poor vendors were targeted.

Such was the climate that there were boycott calls, certain groups were asking vendors to put up Saffron flag on their hand carts while entering neighbourhoods so that their religion was known. Many people were beaten too. 

Anything can be made credible when channels start round the clock, propaganda, false news. This was how innocents were framed, lives destroyed, use it to divide society, brand entire community linking with just anything anything & another year goes, agenda continues. 

Remember, the man who died in jail, wife took her body. This couple had come from Bangladesh and both the husband and wife were booked, arrested and sent to prison. After months, when they were about to get released, the person had a heart attack and died. 

Everyone suffered but not each story was even reported. This immense power to pin blame on someone innocent & then make the person look devil, using it to continue your hate project, is decades old and it continues. Either arrests in UAPA or SIMI link or Corona spread, dozens who are termed suspects by special cell, over the years.

For years, 'according to sources' journalism has destroyed lives. Like a man booked, immediately local papers term him 'terror mastermind arrested'. *No officer quoted, just 'sources say that he might have links'. Court finds him innocent, papers write, 'terrorist acquitted'. Even after acquittal, the 'tag' remains.

This continues because when a person is framed, kin's first priority is the case. Years later when released, he is often so traumatized that he doesn't have the will or resources to fight this or drag to court, the people who played a role in framing him, just for sensationalism.

How false stories are planted just because of bias or just for the sake of sensationalism

Let me give just an example. Once, an editor in an English newspaper in Bhopal, wanted a story about particular fundamentalist group's presence in the region. Reporters kept saying that it was not possible but he wanted a 'big, sensational story'. 

So for this, reporters use, 'source said, 'an officer on conditions of anonymity', to create. That group was not even strong in S Asia, let alone have presence in this region of India, but he wanted story to beat other papers and create a buzz, by claiming that there was a network of people associated with it. 

Imagine what happens when such stories are carried. Stories are planted cleverly like 'worries about this growing here too', cops say 'will look into it'. So you get validation, give a quote in the end, 'cops don't deny, will look'. 

READLessons from Tablighi Jamat case verdict and TV channels' propaganda to demonize group

So basically it is the role of media that is responsible for not just attitude of society but also excesses by officials. Hence, there is need to talk more about the structure of media, the composition of newsrooms, the lack of ethics.

It is an example of how ideology driven people are responsible for this situation where innocents get implicated. But those are involved in misinformation just because of their presence in newsrooms, get away, don't feel ashamed, have no accountability and are never punished. 

Photo is representative. Felipe Vallin, Pexels. LINK

How media fails to take up serious cases of rights abuse, 'normalizes' acts like illegal detention and other atrocities


Shams Ur Rehman Alavi

A man was suspected of stealing a cell phone. Now, in order to force him to surrender, police brought his sister to police station, which was basically illegal detention of a woman who had nothing to do with her relative's actions.

She got traumatized and consumed poison, had to be rushed to the hospital. In case of VIPs--the rich and well-connected, this doesn't happen that other family members are forcibly taken to police station to put pressure--a sort of blackmail. 

Even in extremely heinous crimes, this doesn't happen that if an influential man is wanted, the police would take the kin to police station. But this is very common in case of ordinary citizens, poor, those with no connections. That's the difference, how law is misused.

The particular case is just an example. Now, the woman, is in hospital. Her brother, Vinod, is in police custody. The family members said that cops made the woman sign on blank paper & it had 'supurdnama' written on it. 

Later, when this was revealed, policemen had the audacity to say, 'we didn't beat her' & 'we let her go before sunset', etc etc. Imagine, they are not apologetic or worried about any action, in fact, they plainly state the fact--'we didn't beat her', as if illegal detention was okay. 

This is a regular practice. Just that someone is poor, their relatives are picked up and cops use the term, 'baithaya hai' for detaining the person. The fact is that no one else can be made to pay for someone's offence. 

In many cases a person is innocent and the charge if not correct but due to women relative or a family member taken to police station and illegally detained, the person agrees to appear, surrender and get arrested. No power can change it on ground.

As media doesn't report it, society doesn't know that such practices are illegal, common 

The worst aspect is that for general society, it is like 'how can it happen', 'we never knew'. Increasingly, these reports don't get published in big editions, just buried in regional page, unless someone dies. It is accepted in newspapers, 'ye to chalta hai', so ignore it.

The decline in standards of newspapers and the kind of editors coming as Editors who have little field experience & more happy to befriend one or two bureaucrats & consider it their lifetime achievement, even the basic, mild critical reports have no space in newspapers.

Basically, you can't even make people realise what's happening and the extent of the rot, if newspapers and media stop publishing it. Recently, a senior journalist who was being considered for the post of chief editor, was asked 'liasoning to kar lenge na' [You'll be able to liaison...?]. 

Certain dealings are expected in the interest of the media house owner. However, that's another aspect which needs a separate long post. Here the issue is that as media doesn't adequately report such instances and due to several reasons local journalists feel that it is the norm, the society remains oblivious to the extent of such acts and everyone gets to known only when they have to personally face it. 

Tuesday, December 15, 2020

Media Bias: Muslims termed fundamentalist for no reason but others never termed fundamentalist

 



Shams Ur Rehman Alavi

Long back, in early 1980s, the most circulated English news magazine of the country, did a story on some Muslims not taking interest on their deposits in banks, and it had termed the act as sign of growing 'fundamentalism' among Muslims. 

How often do you see such alarmist articles or headlines in a major newspaper or magazine that talks about worries regarding growing fundamentalism among other religions in the country?

In that case it would be termed a sweeping statement or there would be outrage over how issue is being generalized. But in the case of Muslims, let's see how this narrative is created. 

We've not reached here in a day, it has taken years of such biased media coverage that lumpenised the middle-class and strengthened an impression that Muslims are 'regressive, backward and fundamentalist'. 

Term astrology a science, hail benefits of gau mutra or break coconut when plane brought or endless acts even in official ceremonies. Nothing is considered going back to 'fundamentals'. Ever heard the term used elsewhere, for others?

There are lynchings, forcible separation of couples, spouses separated by these self-styled vigilantes, murders in the name of cow and open threats over conversion, the threats to our religious structures and inflammatory speeches that talk about Hindu Rashtra. 
When almost everything we do, from the food we eat, rituals, lifestyle, wedding, religious symbols, everything is under attack, constantlly and factories continue their work round the clock, institutions have failed, laws are being misused. 
Besides, despite people like Shambhu Raigar, Dara Singh or Babu Babu Bajrangi, any article on radicalism among Hindus? No. The article was published in early 1980s. While Kerala Muslims went out, sent remittances, helped our economy grow.
From the Ram Janmbhumi movement to Gujarat riots, from marginalizing Muslims in jobs to avoiding homes on rent, there is a lot to show how right-wing fundamentalism became mainstream in India. That majority community has allowed the vigilante groups and not spoken against them, strongly, is never made an issue.
In a recent piece just a few days ago, it was casually mentioned that the sportsperson came from a 'orthodox Muslim family'. Now what does it mean! A normal Muslim family that prays or believes in its religion is 'normal or orthodox'. Does a Hindu who goes to temple or prays, is termed 'orthodox Hindu?. A normal Hindu or Muslim are those who believe in Hinduism and Islam, period.
However, when you are already having such strong stereotypes and see Muslims as the 'other', your coverage begins on this pattern. Hence, the mere fact that Muslims in Kerala were financially getting strong, couldn't be digested even then. So, the narrative of Kerala Muslims turning fundamentalists was peddled, so that there could be witch-hunt. Tough laws are brought on the basis of such reports that give credence to lies and more powers given to agencies. The pattern is always the same. 
Dollars are welcome, always, but when Muslims are involved, a spin is given to the story. The false bogey of Muslim infiltration in Bengal and Assam, which was exposed after Assam NRC, too shows how media has for ages played this dirty game. [Photo courtesy, Mr Terje Sollie, Pexels.]

Monday, December 14, 2020

Dealing with Dissent: Term a person 'troublemaker', demolish house or attach property, make entire family suffer




Shams Ur Rehman Alavi

Unfortunately, it is becoming common to initiate proceedings for attachment of property or ordering demolition of a house, just to send a message to the opponents, dissidents or vocal critics. 

A person may have been part of an agitation or may not have even attended a protest but, still, case can be registered under different sections. Once case is there, he is 'accused'. Local media doesn't raise questions, rather, it readily terms him as troublemaker and the result is that the entire family suffers.

If someone is accused of participating in agitation, delivering a speech or even organising people, is it a crime? Even if the person's act was unfair, first try him or her in court and let there be a judgment. If he gets sentenced, will go to jail.

But, who waits for trial? Idea of breaking houses, attaching properties is becoming so common that in cities, people don't even find it odd. If a person is convicted, he can pay for his 'act'. But, rather than justice there is a display of brute power, vengeance on entire family that includes women, children, is becoming common.

There can be numerous examples but this post doesn't list specific cases or any region, because it just aims to tell how this happens and there is little outrage. As, people in positions are able to misuse the powers. If a CM wants someone 'fixed', entire system, officials from top to bottom, just follow it. 

If someone is 'targeted', multiple cases registered & ground is prepared for such actions. No anger or even feeling of uneasiness is seen in society. All this happens even before there is a charge-sheet, let alone case reaching the court. 

So, those who feel that things can be dealt with, should understand that this is at a level where it is happening in cities [within states faraway from national capital] & no outrage or interventions. It's normal. Earlier, what happened was that if it was 'decided' that someone was to be taught a lesson because he was vocal or active, few cases were registered & person was externed from district.

If the person was a fighter and had some resources, he could approach high court & get some relief. Now 'family' also becomes a target. As far as public is concerned, it is least bothered. Firstly, the news that reaches people is through media.

When you destroy a person's reputation and term him 'accused' or 'suspect' or some similar word, it's okay, the exercise of demolition of a house or structure becomes a mere spectacle. Even municipal babus get a high, feel as if they are bureaucrats with real power, on that day, when the house is termed illegal and demolished.

This suits officials too who go by the ruling party leaders' diktats. But where are the checks and balances--role of judiciary and press? Even opposition remains silent and media presents every such action that overrides law as 'strength' of govt or a 'dabang afsar'.

In one particular case, one newspaper in a small item on the same page, carried how children were crying, girl saying that the kin who was termed a 'lawless' person wasn't even staying with them for years but the entire house was demolished just because of it, to show 'strong sarkar'.

Also, that family was not Muslim. I mean, such is the level of 'complicity' of press, that any law can be broken, civil rights trampled upon, all sorts of injustice, everything is justified and hailed through headlines in these 'mass circulated' vernacular dailies in states.

Worse, people even think of 'legal' and 'illegal' on the basis of names. Big players who destroy forests, interfere with environment, never identified, nobody will dare talk about them. That's why they run media houses, make you feel good about action on 'other community'. 

On one hand, a year old basti can be legalised before election, a fifty year old house or settlement can be termed 'encroachment' and bulldozed. This is the harsh truth and newspaper headlines would make people believe that the particular structure had to be demolished, and 'it is good for the city'.

Media houses are part of huge encroachments, those owning the big newspapers, also run schools and colleges, institutions on encroached land, and hence, they are always on the side of establishment. Also, there are a lot of other factors.

Take instance of a vocal legislator of the opposition who get targeted. First he was booked for delivering an inflammatory speech and later on the basis of this, case was registered against him under harsh sections. 

As newspapers created the impression that he was trying to create a divide in society, the administration went out demolishing part of his college, terming it encroachment. As the leader was Muslim, this sent a message to electorate that the government is 'strong', and tough on 'minorities'. 

However, it later came out when the case reached High Court, that the speech had no such thing that was claimed in the FIR. In fact, it was completely twisted to prepare a case. However, the result was that others who don't have clout or political connections, get scared that if a legislator can face it, then who are we!

Making not just dissenter, but his entire family suffer is the mantra. So that people should think twice before even speaking up. In fact, people are ready to face false case, incarceration but the thought of entire family suffering because of them! That's the ploy.

UPDATE: No longer about dissidence or opposition but one-sided biased action

When this post was written, it was about the atrocities on those who had spoken up or raised their voice. But it's no longer the issue. House, shop or property is raised even if the person was totally non-political.

The civic body squad is used to term the house or structure as 'encroachment' and it is 'removed'. In Ratlam, Shakeel Khan's decades' old shop was razed though other shops were left untouched on January 17, 2022. He was not even given time to take away belongings.

The same day in Ujjain, action was taken against a shop seller, Zubair, in Ujjain for selling the 'manjha' or string that comes from China, though no action was taken on wholesale dealer or stopping the import of this China string used for flying kites, that results in injuries and even deaths. 

Zubair's entire shop was demolished. No action was taken against Vikrant, who is the wholesale trader of the 'manjha'. Such actions being taken arbitrarily. Apparently, the names were 'enough' to decide whose shops would be demolished. LINKS 

Wednesday, December 09, 2020

'You don't look like a Muslim': The oft-repeated line reveals prejudice, generalization and biases


Shams Ur Rehman Alavi

What's wrong with the society that people look down upon anyone working hard to earn a living. Is dignity of labour, such an alien concept in our society!

Of late, the term 'puncture wala' is so often used to target an entire community in India.

Why this contempt for hard work and labour? Just because people feel lot of Muslims mend tyres [wheels], they use the term for Muslims in conversations on social media. In my housing society alone, there are over 50 domestic helps, all of them are Hindu. So should on a limited experience...

....someone can feel that all Hindus are poor? In the several cities, I lived, in localities of all kinds--Hindu majority & Muslim majority, there were always very few Muslim domestic helps. So can on this basis Muslims make conclusion that Hindus are more poor? 


REASON THEY WANT TO BELIEVE THAT 'MUSLIMS ARE BACKWARD'

Some just wants to believe that 'Muslims are backward'. They even know dozens of educated Muslims but still remain so opinionated that when they have educated Muslim friends and acquaintances around but would still call them 'exception' & hence say, 'you don't look like Muslim' because for them others are always backward.

This is what is called as PREJUDICE. You want to believe it, as it gives cheap satisfaction about self worth, that at least, you have done better than someone and you don't want this belief shaken, because your life is only about such obsessions with Muslims. 

If this belief that, they are ahead of Muslims or better, gets shattered, then how will they live happily? Dil toot jayega! You either grew on propaganda, believed these stereotypes or didn't have adequate experience but still want to believe wild things like an ENTIRE community is backward & poor. 

SWEEPING GENERALIZATION ABOUT HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS

Though, you know that both communities are huge, hundreds of millions of poor in each those working hard, self-reliant. Everyone must respect hard work. Also a huge middle-class in each group, similarly rich and educated too. 

Check data or see who are the poorest of poor who die most of malnutrition, who live in countless villages of India, who die most of starvation. Are they Muslims? Just believe 'others are poor' & you feel rich. Convenient for your self-esteem, rather than appreciating hard work

More people who die of hunger or the poor & homeless who die because of natural factors--heat or cold in extreme seasons, while sleeping in the open, are Hindu. 'Not own'! They becomes another category--caste or tribe, not 'Hindus'. Biases are acquired too, from society...

...and in our times, TV & social media. Despite under representation in jobs, large number of Muslims worked really hard, stand on feet, become self-reliant. Perhaps, many get satisfaction to believe that 'I may not be doing great, but the other is doing really bad'.

It's easy to do well when you inherit property or have kin in jobs or parents owning business.The real heroes are those who start from the scratch or those battling all odds--Hindu or Muslim, puncture wallas or road side vendors, anyone who earns with hard work. Respect them.

It's very cheap when you make fun of a person who earns living with hard work. I didn't even like to give the example (at the beginning of this thread) but sometimes, you've to write certain things because 'entitlement' is such that people just grow on biases & 'generalize'

Slightly different but happens that lot of people in North form weird notions about people from certain regions, looks, habits. Can't broaden vision, stubbornly believe, then it's bias. If you haven't seen, met & from firm opinion based on your limited experience, it's your issue.

READ: Why not to judge a person by his name, appearance or shop

Now, if I come from a region, I, of course, may not have great knowledge about other part, but how can I always be so opinionated & generalized sweeping statements that 'entire particular group or section comprising crores are always backward....'.

A guy one day started conversation, said, 'I find many Muslims here having lot of books, personal libraries at homes...' & went on to say a lot. The village he belongs to, had few Muslims & based on this experience & hearsay he made up his mind & got surprised to see opposite.

Remember, another factor is social. That you have mostly met and seen more people from the section of society you come from--class, caste and religion. So you may not have seen lot of 'others'. Try to learn, interact with more people, explore the world before forming such opinions, crude and crass comments.

Photo: Mr Bhavesh Jain, Pexels

Monday, December 07, 2020

Urdu short story on Internet: How afsana, mini stories reach audience in the era of social media

 

On one hand, there is a fear that social media is affecting the print.

But on the other hand, it also provides opportunity to take your writings to a wider audience. 

As usual, there are pros and cons. Urdu readers and writers are using the new media to express themselves.

One of the biggest challanges is that Facebook is auto-translating posts.

Hence, if you write something in Urdu text from a region where Urdu is the not the first language, then for the reader it automatically translates it into Hindi or English or Kannada.

To deal with this, the best way is to write text and then post it in 'Image form'. 

Imagine, an eminent author wrote a long article in Urdu and on Facebook, it was translated in English by the social media network, extremely bad translation and even author's name was translated!

So, in order to deal with these issues and to ensure that not just the font is readable but also what you write, is visible to the reader, not some 'auto-translation'. On Twitter, there is a restriction--you can't post more than 280 characters, which means just 2-3 short sentences, hence, this is the way to tackle the restriction. 

So an afsaana or 'afsaancha' i.e. short story or mini story or any other creative work can be posted under the hashtag #Urdu and #UrduTwitter. As there is limit of 280 characters for a tweet, this is posted as an image file, and appears as photo, and hence even an entire short story fits in one tweet.

These are just a few examples of these short stories in Urdu.

You can read some of them under this hashtag at these links:

1. Jalwa dikhane ka shauq LINK

2. Aapki zabaan alag, Aapka culture alag LINK

3. Ansune naam, Anjaane log LINK

4. Qissa-e-Kitab LINK

5. Ye Urdu ke dost hain ya dushman LINK

6.  Whatspp group ka Sher  LINK

7. Fatihana muskurahat LINK

8. Woh be-imaan kaise ho sakta hai LINK

9۔ Yagya jaari hai LINK

10. Guzishta sadi ka Shahar. Khawab Kahani. LINK