A Witness To History: 130 Years2 THE TRIBUNE, CHANDIGARH, FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2012

PM: Good journalism is very seriousbusiness, and very difficult work

Full text of PM Manmohan Singh'saddress at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi

“IAM delighted to be in the midstof The Tribune family onceagain. The last time I wasinvolved in your celebrations, I

had the pleasure of releasing an anthologyof selected writings to commemorate 125years of this magnificent paper. Todaymarks the release of a comprehensive his-tory of The Tribune, on completion of 130years of its publication. It is truly pleasantto go down the memory lane with the news-paper of my choice, which has been my sta-ple reading every morning for decades. ‘AWitness to History’ is an apt title of a bookthat records the 130 year old history of TheTribune. Indeed, this history stands close-ly intertwined with the story of our coun-try’s journey during this turbulent period.Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia, the newspa-

per’s founder was a man of rare foresightand a great reformist. He was inspired byhigh ideals and wanted The Tribune to befree of any sectarian or commercial bias,and unaligned to any dogma or politicalparty. I am happy that the newspaper hasby and large lived up to its founder’svision. While being an effective watchdogof the interests of the people, it has prac-ticed responsible and credible journalism.The Tribune has also been a wonderfulexample of what good trusteeship is about.Its Trustees have been men and womenwho have distinguished themselves in theirrespective professions and who embody thespirit of The Tribune very aptly. The news-paper is one of the very few in the country,where the editor is insulated - as much asis possible - from managerial demands andproprietorial interests. But even moreimportantly, the newspaper has alwaysbeen blessed with Editors of impeccablecredentials. My friend Raj is one of them,with many very illustrious names beforehim and some of them are present on thishappy occasion. I compliment all those whohave helped shape The Tribune into thenewspaper it is today-the generationsbefore us and the current torch-bearers of

this fine institution. I congratulate theauthor of ‘AWitness to History’, ProfessorV.N. Datta, for writing such a fine book.Prof Datta recounts how in the early yearsof the 20th century The Tribune becamepassionate as a patriotic and nationalistnewspaper. He elaborates how from 1920onwards, as events began moving at a fastpace and as communal tensions beganbuilding up, the newspaper’s sober and rea-soned approach attempted to bridge thedivide between the Hindus and the Sikhson the one hand and the Muslims on theother. The Tribune was opposed to the dis-memberment of India and made sincereefforts to prevent it, but in vain.

Heart beats againGLANCING through the pages of ‘A Wit-ness to History’ I was struck by the wordsof an avid Tribune reader who wrote to thenewspaper on September 25, 1947, the dayThe Tribune resumed publication fromShimla, after Partition had forced it to moveout of Lahore. And he wrote: “The heart of

Punjab has begun to beat again, though thepulse is yet faint.” On May 13, 1948, to markthe Tribune’s shift to Ambala, the thenPrime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru wrote ina special message to the newspaper in hisinimitable style: “You have passed throughmany difficulties and have stood many tests.I trust you will not be carried away bymomentary passions but will function witha vision of the future before you.” We havecome a long way from the early years of TheTribune. Today, while India sits at the hightable of nations and is looked upon and heardwith respect, a vibrant media is crucial to ourneeds-a media that informs and educates, amedia that is inspired by public interest andnot guided by sectarian or commercial con-siderations. The Indian media of today hasits inevitable highs and lows. Every day wesee examples of journalism of a very highcalibre. There are instances of fair and accu-rate reporting, free of biases. There are sto-ries with painstaking research to back themup. Journalists often expose wrongdoingseven at considerable risk to themselves.

There are efforts to report constructively onsubjects that are of vital national importance.

Serious Business BUT we also see sensationalism, driven bya desire to sell a story at any cost. There arestories without a clear understanding of theunderlined issues. There is reporting whichis prejudiced. There is trivialisation ofimportant matters. There is corruption. Theprevalence of the practice of ‘paid news’exposed recently has come as a shock to allright-thinking people. It has been our gov-ernment’s avowed belief that the FourthEstate is an essential pillar of our democra-cy. We believe in complete independence ofthe media from external control. It is truethat sometimes irresponsible journalismcan have serious consequences for socialharmony and public order, which the pub-lic authorities have an obligation to main-tain, but censorship is no answer.

It is for the members of the Fourth Estatethemselves to collectively ensure that objec-tivity is promoted and sensationalism iscurbed. It is for them to introspect how bestthey can serve our country and society andadvance their well-being, and how best theycan earn the respect of our common citizens.Those in the media should come together toexercise a degree of self-regulation to com-bat perversions like paid news. It is animportant responsibility of the media toexpose corruption and other ills in our poli-ty and society. It should also advise the gov-ernment and even reprimand it, when it goeswrong. But let me also suggest that it shouldnot be all gloom and doom all the time. Theworld is looking up to us today and it wouldbe but fair that positive news is also givenits due share. The Indian development storyis an exciting one and should be told throughthe print and visual mediums. I believe thatgood journalism is very serious business anda very difficult work. The responsibilities thatjournalists carry are onerous - to inform andeducate the public, to keep a watch on thegovernment’s work and to highlight issuesof critical importance. It is hard to be a goodjournalist - ever willing to learn, ever alertto new developments, objective, fair, sensi-tive, balanced and constructive in approach.However, I also believe that collectively thecountry’s journalists have acquitted them-selves reasonably well. I am convinced thatthe Indian media is on the balance respon-sible and attuned to serving national inter-est. I am also sure that the coming years willsee even higher standards from our media.I thank you for inviting me for this fine occa-sion. Let me end by saying that I look for-ward to many more milestones in this news-paper’s onward march. Sardar Dyal SinghMajithia had charged the future generationsof Tribune’s editors and other journalists withthe mandate to “act for the public weal”. Iam sure that advice will remain the guidingprinciple for The Tribune in the years tocome. May God bless its path.”

“IT is a matter of great pridefor us that The Tribune hascompleted one hundred and

thirty years of uninterrupted publica-tion. The Tribune was founded by thelate Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia, aprogressive social, political and edu-cational reformer far ahead of histimes. In its first issue published fromLahore on 2nd February 1881,Majithia sahib enunciated the guidingprinciples of The Tribune. He want-ed it to be an independent, objective,constructive and fearless newspaper,free from any sectarian, political orcommercial bias, not aligned to anydogma or religion. Before his death in1898, Majithia sahib willed that TheTribune be run by a public Trustcomprising persons of integrity andwide experience who would ensurethat it continued to maintain its inde-pendence, objectivity and the visionhe had laid down for it.

On behalf of my brother trustees,I would like to say that it has indeedbeen a privilege and an honour toserve on the Tribune Trust andalways strive to come upto the idealset by the Founder.

In these 130 years, The Tribunehas been a witness to the tumultuoushistory of the sub-continent, chron-icling the ongoing events and move-ments and guiding its readersthrough the historic changes whilevoicing their concerns.

From the early twentieth century, ithas consistently and courageouslysupported Indian nationalism and thefreedom struggle. It is with great pridethat we recall Gandhiji’s comments onits role, saying he considered The Tri-bune as “the best views paper”. AfterIndependence also, The Tribune hascontinued to retain its distinctive char-

acter and preserve its autonomy,objectivity, fairness and liberal andindependent way of thinking, whatev-er the odds. Today it gives me greatpleasure to say that The Tribune is oneof the most widely respected and readnewspaper in North India. In Punjab,Haryana and Himachal, it is the largestcirculated newspaper and also has asizeable number of readers in Delhi,Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarak-hand. To chronicle the 130 momen-tous and exciting years of The Tri-bune, the Trust decided that it wouldbe appropriate to bring out its historyfrom inception to the present. Theproject was entrusted to the then dis-tinguished Editor-in-Chief, Shri H.K.Dua. He approached Professor V.N.Datta, Professor Emeritus, Kuruk-shetra University, who has a distin-guished record as a historian and hasauthored many acclaimed books. Pro-fessor Datta readily consented toresearch and write the history of TheTribune and the Trust is grateful to himfor his labour of love. Apart from trac-ing The Tribune’s history, ProfessorDatta’s work critically evaluateswhether the paper has lived up to thehigh standards of objectivity and fair-ness expected of it and be the voice ofthe people it serves. On behalf of TheTribune Trust, I would like to expressour deep appreciation of ProfessorDatta’s painstaking and incisive effort.We are greatly honoured, Prime Min-ister, that you accepted our request torelease the book and also address uson this occasion. You have madeknown your attachment to The Tri-bune on a number of occasions andsaid you are a regular and avid read-er. We fervently hope we have comeupto your expectations and will con-tinue to enjoy this privilege.”

Gandhiji consideredThe Tribune as thebest ‘views paper’

(L-R) Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal makes a point with Haryana ChiefMinister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and his J&K counterpart Omar Abdullah.

Russian Ambassador Alexander Kadakin with PakistanHigh Commissioner in India Shahid Malik (R).

The Tribune Trustee Justice (retd) SS Sodhi (L) greets Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi (R) while The Tribune Editor-in-Chief Raj Chengappa looks on.

(L-R) Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal, Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram, Housing and Urban PovertyAlleviation Minister Kumari Selja, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni and

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Bansal.

Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh(L) with Punjab Deputy Chief Minister

Sukhbir Badal.

(From right) The Tribune Trust president RS Talwar and Trustee Naresh Mohan with former Editors-in-Chief of The Tribune Group

of Newspapers Hari Jaisingh and HK Dua.

Well-wishers of The Tribune tradition come together

c m y b

❝

❝Reprimand us, if necessary, but it should not begloom and doom all the time

The Tribune Trust president RS Talwar pointed out that the book, ‘AWitness to History’, released by the Prime Minister on Thursday, does notconfine itself to the history of the newspaper but also critically evaluateswhether it has lived up to the ideals formulated by its visionary founder.The full text of the address:

Tribune photos: Mukesh Aggarwal

20TT02A.qxd 1/19/2012 10:49 PM Page 1