In this digital age, a handwritten newspaper seems archaic but it is still relevant in one corner of the Muzaffarnagar district. Dinesh, owner and editor of ‘Vidya Darshan’ newspaper, does not own a printing press, does not employ any staff, and does not even have a typewriter. In art paper sheets, he writes out the news and makes sketches. After writing the newspaper, her gets it photocopied and then goes to the various vantage points in the city and pastes his newspapers.
“I have been writing my own newspaper since the past 17 years. It takes me about three hours to write the news”, said Dinesh, who is in his late fifties. A resident of Gandhi Nagar colony, he owns a worn-out bicycle and cannot even afford a change of clothes every day. “People read my newspaper because I highlight local issues and incidents. Since I do not earn anything from the newspaper, I sell ice cream in the evening for a living,” he said.
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Happiness for Dinesh is when he sees people flocking around his newspaper to read it. Journalism is a passion for Dinesh. “I do not earn a penny from journalism. I have never got any advertisement or government support but my work gives me immense satisfaction,” he said.
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Moreover, Dinesh said that he freely expressed his opinion in his newspaper which compelled people to introspect. “I rarely write on politics. I prefer to write on incidents that have social relevance. Anyone who reads my newspaper knows what exactly is happening in the district,” he said. (IANS/JC)