World Sikh News has triumphantly entered the third year of its publication. With each issue it has marched forward, taking surer strides, winning more friends and converting sceptics into participating patrons. It has been pursuing its clearly marked out mission with a singular devotion and has left its detractors way behind convulsing in the cobwebs of their own creation. Deriding adulterated views, it has meticulously refrained from indulging in sensational gimmicks and promoting narrow clannish interests.
The release of its first issue was planned to coincide with the auspicious occasion of Guru Gobind Singh’s 319th birth anniversary on December 28, 1984, and was dedicated to the exclusive service of the Khalsa Panth. Since then it has not looked back and is pretty well poised to scale new heights. It confidently looks forward to celebrating its nativity along with that of the creator of the Khalsa Panth year after year. Its horoscope, like that of the Khalsa, is characterized by turbulence and fierce hostility from quarters that feel shaken by its frankness, fearlessness and truthfulness.
It has succeeded in effectively filling the vacuum and in dispelling the reservations of those Sikh intellectuals who were influenced by make-believe personality fixations. In most cases, it was neither politics nor policy differences that generated negative responses but sheer pessimism. Happily, the pall of pessimism is fast evaporating before the bright sunshine of an all-embracing optimism and the newspaper is undoubtedly majoring into a fully grown member of the Fourth Estate.
But it has yet to traverse through miles of marshy mire before becoming a compulsive habit with every educated Sikh. It still remains a sapling that needs proper fertilizers and utmost vigilance. it is like a secluded oasis surrounded by scorching deserts stretching on all sides. It is no more safe than those great civilizations that were exposed to the plundering savage hordes and often fell victims to their evil designs.
World ‘Sikh News is still in its infancy. All around it wild beasts are angling to devour it at the first opportunity. It needs all the protection and patronage to contend against the diabolic forces. Under the circumstances, every Sikh who feels concerned with the destiny of the Sikh nation, must promote and strengthen it in every way. Nothing serves a newspaper better than promoting its clientele. Newspapers derive their strength from their subscribers. To make it a truly representative Sikh voice, readers need to persuade their friends, relatives and acquaintances to subscribe to it.
It is true that the newspaper is far from perfect. It suffers from many shortcomings and needs to be considerably improved. In the year to come, financial constraints notwithstanding, every conceivable effort shall be made to chisel it into a newspaper with a distinct personality and character.
Once again World Sikh News would like to record its grateful appreciation of all those dedicated Sikhs who have endeavored to keep its banner fluttering proudly despite many obstructions and privations. 1987 holds a great promise. Let us make it a year of our fulfillment and develop this united voice of the Sikhs into a self-sufficient newspaper.
Article extracted from this publication >> January 9, 1987
