Ranbir (newspaper)

Ranbir
Editor-in-chief Lala Mulkraj Saraf
Founded 24 June 1924 (1924-06-24)
Language Urdu language
Ceased publication 18 May 1950 (1950-05-18)
Headquarters Jammu

Ranbir (Urdu: رنبیر‎) was a daily Urdu language newspaper published from Jammu, India.[1][2] It was the first daily newspaper in Jammu and Kashmir.

Founding

Ranbir was founded and edited by Lala Mulkraj Saraf.[2][3] He had previously worked as sub-editor of Lala Lajpat Rai's nationalist organ Bande Mataram.[3] Saraf had negotiated for some time to obtain the permission from the Maharaja Pratap Singh of Jammu and Kashmir to publish Ranbir as a statewide weekly.[4][5]

The newspaper was named after Maharaja Ranbir Singh.[4] The first issue of Ranbir was published on 24 June 1924.[4][5] Ranbir would become the first daily newspaper in Jammu and Kashmir.[2] The newspaper was printed at the Government Press.[6] Instantly after its foundation, the paper gained a wide readership in the state.[5]

1930 ban

In May 1930 Maharaja Hari Singh issued a ban on Ranbir (accusing it of 'subversive propaganda'), following an article about an agitation in Jammu related to the arrest of Mahatma Gandhi in British India.[4][6][3][7] The Maharaja argued that Ranbir had, in its 7 May 1930 (Baisakh 25, 1987) issue exaggerated the participation figures in the Jammu protest and that the newspaper had false alluded that the Maharaja himself would have supported the protests.[7] The newspaper was allowed to resume publication in November 1931.[4] This period was marked by increased pressure towards responsible government in Jammu and Kashmir, a movement that Ranbir supported.[3]

1947 ban and later years

The newspaper was banned in June 1947, following having demanded accession to India and urged for the release of Sheikh Abdullah.[8] The ban was eventually lifted and Ranbir re-appeared in September 1947. In the following years Ranbir was an important mouthpiece of the anti-Pakistani tendency in Jammu and Kashmir.[3] Ranbir was finally closed down on 18 May 1950.[4]

References

  1. ↑ New Book Society of India, New Delhi. Indian Book Trade and Library Directory. New Delhi: New Book Society of India, 1950. p. 478
  2. 1 2 3 Das, Sisir Kumar. A History of Indian Literature. 2.. New Delhi: Sahitya Akademi, 1995. p. 589
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 J & K Yearbook & Who's Who. Jammu: Rabir Publications, 1987. p. 4
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Taseer, C. Bilqees. The Kashmir of Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah. Lahore: Ferozsons, 1986. pp. 225–226
  5. 1 2 3 Kapur, Manohar Lal. Maharaja Hari Singh, 1895–1961. New Delhi: Har-Anand Publications, 1995. p. 107
  6. 1 2 Journalism, Vol. 1–4. Department of Journalism, University of the Punjab, 1968. p. 34
  7. 1 2 Ravinderjit Kaur. Political Awakening in Kashmir. New Delhi: APH Pub. Corp, 1996. p. 121-122
  8. ↑ Epilogue, Vol 4, Issue 11. p. 4
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