The Print Media and J & K (part – I)

We are living in the information age, today. Now, it is the world of gadgets, internet, sms messages, twitter, social networking, face book chatting, tablets, video conferences, web cam chats, e mails, mobiles with sensitive applications and various other forms of online communication. Earlier, the era of telephone to laptop and other sensitive electronic means of communication drastically transformed the world. The human minds have enough appetite to learn and find out ways to defeat the opposite. There is enormous competition to carry out researches and translate that into richness of science.

Today, an ordinary news, forget the scoops, flash or breaking news is itself in terrific speed to reach out destination to appear on electronic media screens and on the contrary print media offer the headlines and later presents in print. The telecasts of ‘Breaking News” is compete speed and score points. Each channel in electronic media or a publication in print is vigorously engaged in an undeclared war to overtake the rival where the former fights for the TRP and later for circulation. The scenario in Jammu & Kashmir is no different from rest of the country and it all goes on similar lines.

Origin

The print media in Jammu and Kashmir dates back to mid-nineteen century with producing a small chunk of veterans who have made their place in the pages of the history. The journey has been very tough since the educated were very small in number, means of publishing or printing were invisible and

the readership somewhat negligible. The education was affordable to the elite or those well to do.    

courtesy : Kashmir Today, J & K Govt.

The origin of Journalism in Jammu and Kashmir straightway goes down to the reign of Maharaja Ranbir Singh, who ruled the state between 1857-85  and during the period literary activities in the state attracted  many learned men from various parts of India. Pandit Bainkat Ram Shastri from Banaras, established a printing press ‘Bidya Bilas’ in Jammu in 1860. The press published many books and later in 1867 shri Shastri brought out ‘Bidya Bilas’, the sixteen page magazine, the first weekly newspaper in the state. The double column, bilingual - one each in Hindi and Urdu, periodical was to cater the readers of the two main read and written languages in the state. The announcement by the editor said, “The newspaper has been started for the benefit of the public”.

The publication had written on the then techniques of journalism in detail. There were no sensational headlines, editorials or comments.  The news item used to be grouped under caption of cities and states. The reporters and correspondents used to be there, “In most important cities and towns, we have our correspondents, but readers are invited to send any news of public interest. Such correspondents will be supplied the news free of cost”.  

Real Journalist

The founder editor shri Munshi Harmukh Rai of the ‘Koh-i-Noor’ urdu started the bi-weekly publication from Lahore in 1850. He introduced a Urdu weekly newspaper, “Tofha-i-Kashmir” from Srinagar in 1876 which entitled him the distinction of a real journalist of his times. Munshi Sayeed Nisar started another weekly ‘Jammu Gazette’, himself as the editor in a span of a decade. Maharaja Ranbir Singh’s death brought an abrupt end to such activities in J&K which forced Munshi Nisar Sayeed to shift to Hyderabad. From here, he later brought out a publication ‘Safeer-i-Deccan’ the weekly newspaper in 1888.

The ‘Stern Maharaja’

         

Maharaja Partap Singh, on ascending the throne in 1885 ordered the closure of all newspaper publications throughout the state. Then, a newspaper in the Bodhi language appeared on in 1903 by the Rev. J.E. Peter of the Moravian Mission. The Resident informed Partap Singh about the paper maligned and oppressed Maharaja ordered it closed, “I am against allowing newspapers and journals being published in the state”. He ordered on 10 June 1907 and without disclosing the reasons added, “The reason why the publication of newspaper and journals has been hitherto never been considered desirable are better known to the Chief Minister than being described here”.

Thus ordering and announcing the closure of his newspaper, Rev. Peter assessing the Maharaja’s mind wrote in the issue of 5 August 1907, “The Maharaja does not want spread of modern ideas through newspapers. He is afraid that disturbances like those in Rawalpindi early this year might spread in his state. So he has ordered the closure of my newspaper”.

Ladakhi Publications

courtesy : Kashmir Today, J & K Govt.

 About twenty years later, ‘Ladakh News’, a newspaper in Bodhi language appeared from Ladakh in 1903 which was later renamed as ‘Ladakh Phoyian’ in 1908. Some claim that ‘Ladakh Gazette’ was the first paper from Ladakh and called as ‘Ladakh Gazette’ which was later renamed as the ‘Ladakh Herald’, brought out and lithographed in Tibetan characters which became prominent in Ladakh and was widely read in Tibet too.  The publication suffered many ups and downs resulting suspension but the publication kept on appearing on and off with good collection of news on social, cultural scenes. The four page publication would never cover political cross-currents around Leh.

Japan’s famine and the efforts of some European nations rendering relief to the victims were widely covered by the April1906 issue of the ‘Ladakh Herald’. As earlier discussed, Maharaja ordered closure of newspaper, he promulgated an regulation (ordinance) in September 1904 to close down all publications without any prior permission. The well known journalist of Lahore Munshi Mohammad Din Fauq was communicated clear ‘no’ for shifting the place of publication of his Kashmiri Magazine to Srinagar, the Maharaja while rejecting the request told his High court judge to “draft a regulation with all possible restrictions to safeguard against any undesirable consequences that generally go as sequences with indiscrete people in the abuse of the Press liberty”. The Press and Publication Regulations drafted thus promulgated on 18 September 1914 which specified that the permission for the publication of newspaper vested only with the Maharaja.