Khalsa Akhbar Lahore

The Khalsa Akhbar (Punjabi: ਖ਼ਾਲਸਾ ਅਖ਼ਬਾਰ (Gurmukhi), خالصہ اخبار (Shahmukhi)), Lahore, was a weekly newspaper and the organ of the Lahore Khalsa Diwan, a Sikh society. Published from Lahore in the Punjabi language (Gurmukhi script), the newspaper was established in 1886 and functioned sporadically till 1905.^[1][2] Founded by Bhai Gurmukh Singh, a professor of Punjabi at the Oriental College, Lahore, who also established the Khalsa Press in Lahore, the paper was taken over by Giani Ditt Singh, a scholar and a poet.^[3]

History

The newspaper was published with effect from 12 June 1886 through the efforts of Bhai Gurmukh Singh from Lahore. It was a weekly newspaper of Khalsa Diwan Society being published in Lithography and in Gurmukhi script. Its first two editors were Giani Jhanda Singh Faridkot and Sardar Basant Singh. Later on, it was handed over to Bhai Ditt Singh Giani. The newspaper continued to be published till 1889. After this its publication stopped for sometime due to a legal suit filed by the Amritsari party regarding the publication of a play called Swapan.^[4][5]

It resumed publication again on 1 May 1893 with Giani Ditt Singh as its editor. An experienced scholar and an expert in debates and discussions, he entered into many heated debates with champions of Arya Samaj.

Giani Dit Singh was an excellent writer of Punjabi prose and poetry and wrote many of his editorials in verse. He was the right-hand man of Bhai Gurmukh Singh and one of the pillars of Singh Sabha Lahore. He died in 1901. After him, Sardar Maeeya Singh Ahluwalia became the editor of Khalsa Akhbar and continued till 1905. The newspaper ceased publication after the dissolution of Singh Sabha Lahore and due to some other reasons.

References