Chapter 12
It is the story of a fighter Hindi editor Lala Jagat Narain of the popular Hindi daily Punjab Kesari and his son Ramesh Chander who were brutally killed by Sikh militants. He had opposed anyone who was anti-national or communal. The then ruling Congress chief minister Pratap Singh Kairon was a ruthless chief minister. He brook no opposition, including the media. He didn't like the opposition campaign by Lala ji through his newspapers in Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu. Kairon disconnected the electric supply to the newspaper in 1972. Lalaji successfully tried to generate power using a bullock cart. The story was flashed in media all over.
I had been in media just for two years and then working for Sarita, the most popular monthly for educated housewives. It highlighted family values, women empowerment and such related issues. The editor asked me to rush to Jallandhar to report the crisis in Punjab Kesari. It was his tactical support to a fellow media house being tortured by political party in power. Otherwise also, it was a popular paper and Lalaji could anticipate the favorable fall out of his gesture.
I landed in Punjab Kesari office and approached Lala ji and his son. The family was delighted to receive a Delhi-based reporter sent by a like-minded popular publication to lend support in the moment of the crisis they were facing. I interviewed the father and son duo. They gave me a detailed version. I witnessed the electricity being generated by their meager efforts. It was no match to the regular supply but it had the desired effect. Kairon government felt uncomfortable. But they didn't aggravate the situation by any harsher means.
I met the media counterparts like Akali Paytika, Tribune etc but they scotched it off. They were fair weather media organizations not rubbing the political power structure on the wrong side. They didn't agree with Lalji's criticism of Sikh militants and the Congress government with dexterity.
The Indira Gandhi government at the center had given a free hand to the chief ministers. She became ruthless, a little later but Kairon belonged to the Nehru era and she understood his stature. She was no friends of media but she didn't want her chief ministers to go too far in taking a stand against media. Thusit was a tricky situation. Sarita editor Vishwanth was also a quintessential fighter. He had unorthodox views on all religions, dogmas, didn't publish cigarette or even such advertisements that used gods. Hindu fundamentalists were up in arms against his publications but he didn't care.
In the present case of Punjab Kesari, he found a worthwhile cause to support. He had no political stand either his writings or thinking. His brief was to report facts based on direct quotes. I spent three days in Jallandhar and met as many people as I could. I even went to the Indo-Pak border with the help of a defence official. I was still learning the basic lessons of journalism.
Lala Jagat Narain knew thathe was treading on a dangerous path. But he didn't relent. His son ionherited the same strategy. He knew he was in a vulnerable position but he was mentally prepared for any situation. After the brutal killings of him and hisson Ramesh Chander in moving cars, his brother Vijay kumar and grandson Ashwini Minna changed their strategy and became moderate in their approach. Vijay Kumar travelled with me as a journalist to Latin America.
I felt a personal loss, when the brave sons of Punjab died while fighting for the freedom of media.
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