‘With Guru’s grace World Sikh News has entered into second year of its publication. In one year it has made significant progress and is well poised to bloom into a full-fledged medium articulating Sikh aspirations. It has consistently maintained a sober and rational approach and has meticulously refrained from indulging in yellow journalism or propagandist demagoguery. It has not ‘wavered even for a moment from the mission that it had pledged to fulfill.
As editorially anticipated in its first issue, it had to “contend with many difficulties and obstructionist mines planted i way by the adversaries.” Besides, stiff opposition by various forces unleashed by the Indian government to snuff it out of existence, it faced number of challenges from within the community.
The failure of earlier attempts by well-meaning persons to develop an effective Sikh newspaper had generated an atmosphere of apprehension and scepticism. Consequently the response to World News initially was characterized by pseudointellectual disdain and pathological personality fixations. In most ‘cases there was no politics involved in their negative attitudes but sheer pessimism made them diffident and indifferent.
Happily, most of the misconceptions and prejudices are gradually disappearing and with its teething troubles already ‘over, the newspaper is fast taking strides towards majoring into a viable project. More and more Sikhs are beginning to appreciate the necessity of making this bold venture a resounding success.
But it has yet to traverse through miles of unfriendly terrain before realizing its dream of becoming a “compulsive habit with every educated Sikh.” The fate of World Sikh News can safely be compared to a lone oasis surrounded by vast expanses of burning desert on all sides. It is no more safe than those great civilizations that appeared on the face of the earth from time to time only to be destroyed by the plundering savage hordes who had come to hold unmitigated sway over vast tracts of land.
World Sikh News is still in its infancy with “wild hordes” angling to destroy it at the first opportunity. It needs all the protection and patronage to survive against heavy odds. It is the duty of every Sikh who feels concerned with the destiny of his nation, to promote and strengthen it in every way. It can be done by persuading all your friends, relatives and acquaintances to subscribe to it. Newspapers derive their strength from their subscribers alone.
It is true that the newspaper suffers from many flaws and needs to be considerably improved, In the year to come, all efforts permitted by the financial constraints would be made to give it a distinct personality and character. Meanwhile World Sikh News places on record its grateful appreciation of the services of all those dedicated Sikhs who have kept its banner flying despite ‘many limitations and hurdles. Let us hope for a more rewarding and satisfying year in 1986.
Article extracted from this publication >> January 3, 1986
