The Congress party on Monday June 12, launched the refurbished website of National Herald, which had stopped the publication a few years ago, as the party preferred Bengaluru as it is the IT Capital of the Country.
Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi today releases the commemorative editing of the Congress – Run National Herald.Both Rahul Gandhi and vice president Hamid Ansari arrived at HAL Airport this afternoon.
Ambedkar Bhavan at vasanthnagar in Bengaluru witnessed the beginning of the relaunch of the historical National Herald Newspaper started by India’s firist prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru in 1938.Vice President Hamid Ansari and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi arrived in Bengaluru today to launch the commemorative edition of the National Herald Newspaper.The Edition was titled India at cross roads 70 years of independence.The event was attended by Governor R.Vajubhai Vala, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah,State Congress President Dr.G.Parameshwara,Oscar Fernandis and the host of other dignitaries.
Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi today accused the Narendra Modi Government of muzzling the media by not allowing journalists to write what they want to express.
Speaking at the launch of commemorative publication of Congress mouth piece National Herald here, he said thousands of journalists in the country were not being allowed to write what they want. ”I meet them and they tell me that they are being silenced.He said during his visit to Golden Temple two days ago he learnt the powerful concept of Sikhism — ‘Peeri’ and ‘Meeri’. While Peeri means ‘the power of truth’, Meeri means the ‘truth of power’.This is what is happening in India now. There is a dis-balance between these two forces.The power of truth is being completely replaced by the truth of power. Anybody who attempts to say the truth, who want to stand for the truth are being pushed aside, he stated.Mr Gandhi said the Dalits were being beaten up, minorities were frightened, while journalists and bearucrats are being threatened.Quoting a Soviet poet, he said when truth is being silenced, then the truth becomes a lie. This is what the government is trying to do. It is forcing everything into silence, he alleged.Mr Gandhi said the National Herald had a strong spirit that it will not going to be silenced.The Editor came to me some time back, I told him when he wants to say something against the congress party its ideas or me, I will be absolutely comfortable and want him to say it without any fear.That is the spirit we expect from National Herald. Speak the truth and do not be silenced or be scared.He said the power of truth is being completely replaced by the truth of the power, he said i am a citizen of India I am allowed to come into madhya Pradesh,On what basis are you stopping me is there a law which you are applying and he look at me and said there is no law I am applying,so I said why you are stopping me because I have been told to that is basically what is done in India.Couple of days ago I wanted to go to Uttar Pradesh I wanted to go and meet some people there I was stopped at the border of the Uttar Pradesh and told you can’t go into Uttar Pradesh.The publication would also go into print shortly he added .
In his keynote address, Mr Ansari said the Press had emerged as a tool for national awakening. It became a medium of nationalist political participation for the masses. The Press was a medium for propagation of modern ideas of democracy, freedom and equality.
He said the English Press emerged as a medium of communication between nationalists across the country and played a role in welding India into a single nation and in giving the Indians a sense of national identity.This was crucial in mobilising the masses for various nationalist and social causes.Mahatma Gandhi was associated with six journals.Young India and Harijan became powerful vehicles of his views on all subjects.For Gandhiji, journalism was a public service,In my humble opinion, it is wrong to use a newspaper as a means of earning a living. When a newspaper is treated as a means of making profits, the result is likely to be serious malpractices.It is not necessary to prove to those who have some experience of journalism that such malpractices do prevail on a large scale.He expressed his happiness over National Herald resuming its publication in both print and digital formats.I am sure that it will uphold the standards of journalism that Jawaharlal Nehru enshrined in his newspaper he added.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the struggle for country’s Independence, journalism played a highly impactful role, so much so that it was synonymous with Nationalism, Patriotism and Secularism.National Herald had always championed the cause of the Freedom of Press and was considered as the ‘Voice of India’, during the fight for Independence.No wonder, it was banned between 1942 and 1945 following, the gag on the Indian Press after the Quit India Resolution he added.
The National Herald Newspaper reportedly went out of the print in the year 2008.President Pranab Mukherjee will formally launch the print edition of the National Herald on the 20th of the June as weekly publication.With Rahul Gandhi in town most of the legislators skips the assembly session today.Vidhana Soudha Wore a deserted look with just a handful of legislators present for the ongoing monsoon session .With the launch of commemorative edition of the the National Herald the newspaper gets a new leas of life whether the launch will give the revival of the Congress party too remains to be seen .
