In January 2017, 23-year-old Anzer Ayoob, the editor-in-chief of the news website, started this portal that would run news in Urdu and English.
While the promotion of Devnagri does not only imply demonetisation of Nastaliq script, but empowering Devnagri over the Nastaliq script stirs questions about the endangerment of several languages like Gojri, Pahari, Poshtu, Balti, Sheena, Urdu, that are written in the Persian script.
Both the Sarazi and Bhaderwahi languages are spoken in the Doda district.
Ayoob’s efforts to run news in these languages aims to bind the speakers in a better relationship with their local languages.
“Initially, our team worked on the promotion of tourist places in the Chenab region via photos and videography.
They also convey the problems to the concerned department and request them to look into the issues at the earliest.
“The strength of our news lies in the local language that we use; it is a way we are reclaiming our identity,” said Ayoob.
While their efforts to provide greater localised access to news is marked by appreciation and applause, it lacks the financial support to sail through the process of news production.
After The Chenab Times completed a year, the impact of their initiative was covered by various local dailies like Kashmir Uzma and Daily Udaan.
To deal with this issue, we use our mobile phones for video editing and managing websites on such days,” Ayoob said, as he described the struggle of running a news portal in the Chenab valley.
While the website’s audience has grown since it started, the funding mainly comes from clicks and their YouTube channel, which has over 48,000 subscribers.