J&K Archival records speak high of  Tribune, Statesman

For its unique geo-political importance, Kashmir has always remained   in the news for all reasons and seasons. Even during the British regime, the media had shown its strategic interest in Kashmir affairs by   either resorting to biased reporting or giving much coverage to the happenings in this erstwhile princely state, now bifurcated into so many regions and pieces!

     These observations are well documented in a series of official files and valuable records preserved by the  J&K Department of Archives, Archeology and Museums. Dr D C Sharma, a former senior librarian of the Jammu University, has also penned down certain similar findings in his book “ Documentation of English Newspapers on Kashmir’’

Anglo-Indian Newspapers’ bias towards Kashmir

The records available with the Archives Department   reveal that in post 1880 period, most of the  “Anglo-Indian papers’’, including the Pioneer of Allahabad, were highly critical of the ruler of Kashmir and Kashmir affairs under a strategic plan. On the contrary, The Tribune held an independent opinion via-a-vis Kashmir.

 The archival records refer  to many instances when different newspapers, including Civil and Military Gazette of Lahore,  Englishmen (Calcutta), Indian (Rawalpindi) and the Indian Daily News, published from Calcutta (then)  had carried a series of `provocative and misleading’ stories on Kashmir only to be rebutted or clarified by the Maharaja’s publicity department. 

   One such typical  instance of misleading the masses had come  to the fore when Patna based `Indian Nation’ in its February 23, 1932 issue, under  “Jummoo’’ date-line, had carried a story that  Lt Col Forrester Farewell Colvin, a Briton, had taken over from Raja Hari Krishan Kaul as the Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. The story was far from the truth but had momentarily created ripples.

          ` Muslim Press’ and  anti-Hindu Stories

Similarly, the records reveal that the  Urdu newspapers from Lahore, like “Alfazal’’ and “Siyasat’’, which were referred to as the “ Muslim Press”, were equally publishing “misleading and anti-Hindu’’ stories.

   It was, however, the popularity and the independent view of The Tribune and The Statesman  that  in 1936, the  then State  Government had ordered that these  newspapers, alongwith two  other English dailies, be despatched to most of the educational institutions, including  Prince of Wales College   Jammu and S P College Srinagar besides 13 High Schools functioning at Akhnoor, Bhaderwah, Sopore, Mirpur, Muzaffarabad, Kishtwar, Samba, Kathua and Bhimber.

 The other national dailies which had marinated journalistic standards like The Tribune and The Statesman  and were equally recommended for education institutions of the state,  included  Eastern Times (Lahore), and Civil and Military Gazette ( Lahore).

Srinagar’s Raina News Agency

The records further reveal interesting anecdotes linked with The Tribune. The proprietor of the Onkar Brothers at First Bridge, Srinagar was the newspaper’s sole distributor for the state. The firm had also a branch office at a picturesque spot of Pahalgam, where tourists and high dignitaries were provided the newspaper.

  From 1936 to 1939, Onkar Brothers continued to supply The Tribune to the state machinery, Government Institutions and even the Prime Minister of the princely state.  However, in 1940, by the Government order, the charge to supply the Tribune was given to the Raina News Agency, Srinagar, as Onkar Brothers was found irregular at times.