The ‘How’ of HT

One day, a senior photojournalist was plagued by an intense desire to do something he had never done before. At least, in the last 25-odd years that he had worked under others, with no ostensible value-addition to his life.

On surveying the district he had lived in for the most part of his life, he felt his ‘mathrubhoomi’ needed an English paper, amidst a host of vernacular dailies.Hence he decided to start Hassan Today, albeit in the best way he could conceive of, being a non-editor by skill. It was an act of sheer audacity, courage and some would say foolhardiness,as he did not have the linguistic capital to pull this idea off.

In a moment of despair, he dials an old friend in Bengaluru, who was lying on his couch, devastated by a stalled career, despite having all the maverick energy required to do something substantive. The first few rings go unanswered. But Prakash persists by calling again. This time, the phone is answered, and pleasantries exchanged. Soon, Prakash describes his audacious experiment, hoping for some ray of light and support.When two negatives combine, it creates a positive – this is what we were taught in elementary math. Nobody told us, then, that it could also produce a rare chemistry that can, if times are good, produce electric musicality as well.

That was what Hassan Today began to radiate, as we both got down to work.From then on, for about four months in succession, Prakash and Shravan worked on conceptualising the paper with the help of ace designers in Bengaluru and hit the ground running.Sadly, the paper had to be discontinued owing to capital shortage, given that both professionals were going through financially very difficult circumstances individually. Hassan Today Online is an effort to revitalise that lost chemistry, but in a digital format, given the current economic constraints and market realities. We seek your blessings and patronage to carry this endeavour forward.

Jai Hassanamba!