A Distinct Identity of ‘Punjabi Journalism’ in nowadays

  (Asianindependent)   Punjabi journalism has always had a wide scope. It encompasses subjects ranging from the Ghadar Movement, the Akali Movement, the Praja Mandal Movement, the PEPSU agitation, the Babbar Akali Movement, the pre-independence Islamic movements, and the documented activism of Punjab’s Christian communities.

In tracing the origins of Punjabi journalism, it is important to note that Christian missionaries were the first to establish a printing press in the Punjabi language. They used the local dialects and vocabulary to spread the message of Christianity through the Bible. Similarly, Pandit Shraddha Ram Phillauri wrote and published a book titled Punjabi Baat-Cheet (Punjabi Conversations) in the then-prevailing dialect. At that time, Punjabi was often written in a Hindi script, and the Hindostani-flavored ‘Hindjaabi’ was commonly accepted as Punjabi.

In the early days, a journalist was simultaneously a literary figure and a news writer. Many early journalists were also columnists, some were novelists, and some were religious poets. (This is a general observation; the intent here is not to name or exclude anyone specifically.)

In its early phase, Punjabi journalism was heavily factional—it often focused on one sect criticizing another. Before and long after the British left India, verbal duels between Arya Samaj and Singh Sabha scholars were common. When Christianity began spreading in Punjab under colonial influence and some royal families converted, the general public also followed. Many people converted to Christianity out of personal faith, which agitated scholars of India’s existing religions. Though this was part of broader religious discourse, based on personal archival research into newspapers from 1940 to 1971, it can be concluded that the early phase of Punjabi journalism was full of sectarian rivalry and religious polemics. The book by Narinder Singh Kapoor on Punjabi journalism is a valuable reference on this subject.

Punjabis warmly embraced journalism that focused on social reform. At the time, magazines and newspapers were aligned with social reform. Even today, the Namdhari sect publishes its newspapers Satajug and Varyam, which cover their internal activities much like newsletters.

The Namdhari movement began with the Kuka uprising, which challenged British rule through sacrifices and spiritual resolve. It evolved into a spiritual and militant movement. The Namdhari ideology had ideological disagreements with the contemporaneous Singh Sabha movement.

The Singh Sabha itself promoted reformist ideas through its newspapers and tracts, distributing them widely. A similar ideology was upheld by the Babbar Akalis, who operated under guerrilla tactics. It is said that they carried a mobile printing press during their campaigns. While working underground, they printed small newspapers and leaflets using their own printing equipment. They either followed or bent the rule that a publication must name its publisher, printer, and location. Instead, they used fictional names like “Uddant Press – Mobile Operation” and attributed printing to imaginary individuals like “Jabartorh Singh” or “Sudharak Singh.” The Babbar Akalis were masters of such terminology, making a unique linguistic contribution to Punjabi journalism.

These were the brave warriors who demanded an independent Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and fought to liberate gurdwaras from corrupt mahants. The SGPC continues to publish Gurmat Prakash and Gurdwara Gazette, while other Sikh institutions outside Punjab also release publications periodically.

Before independence, the Ahmadiyya movement, which began in Qadian, also started its own publications. It established printing presses, published many books in Urdu and Hindi, and some in Punjabi via translations. While some publications were controversial, the movement was also active in printing tracts and temporary newspapers, often engaging in debates with Arya Samaj and traditional Islamic scholars—differences that persist today.

Similarly, the Islamic Tabligh Jamaat from Malerkotla also ran short-lived publications both before and after independence. They distributed their ideological tracts widely. However, in today’s times, no prominent newspaper representing this ideology is visible in Punjab.

The weekly newspaper tradition in Punjabi journalism is nearly extinct today. Only a few religious sects or wealthy-trust-funded weeklies survive. Community-connected weeklies have practically vanished. A handful of individuals continue to pursue this mission, but overall, the genre is dying.

The lack of government advertising has also delivered a major blow. Although weeklies typically function like news magazines and mirror public sentiments, even loyal donors have stopped supporting them. Ironically, while extreme followers of every faith are ready to riot in defense of their beliefs—burning public property and blocking roads—these same people no longer support the peaceful mission of weekly journalism.