A Tribute on His 3rd Death Anniversary
By Ravi Rohmetra
Duggar, the land of warriors, writers, poets, scholars, intellectuals, and journalists, has produced many illustrious sons and daughters who have brought glory to their motherland and raised her prestige to Himalayan heights. Among them stands one shining name—Lala Gopal Sachar, a veteran journalist and a legendary figure in Hindi journalism.
Lala Gopal Sachar, the representative of the Hind Samachar group of newspapers in Jammu and proprietor of The Sachar News, Jammu, was born on 17 July 1927 at Bhalwal Brahmana in Jammu. He hailed from such a remote and underdeveloped village that he had to study in three different schools before passing his matriculation. He later joined the Prince of Wales College, Jammu, but could not complete his graduation due to the tragic partition of the country and the subsequent invasion by Pakistan, which rendered him homeless.
In 1949, after the arrest of Pandit Prem Nath Dogra, the RSS leader, Lala Sachar started an underground news bulletin in Urdu titled Akashbani. For this daring act, he was arrested and brutally beaten, resulting in a fracture in his right leg. Undeterred, he continued his journalistic journey and began working with the local Urdu weekly Gulab.
When the agitation for the full integration of Jammu and Kashmir with India began in 1952, Lala Sachar once again started publishing underground bulletins—Akashbani in Hindi and Lok Bani in Urdu. His fearless reporting led to his re-arrest, but he was released in July 1953.
For over two decades, he served as the Publicity Secretary to the late Pandit Prem Nath Dogra. During this period, he edited three Urdu weeklies—Swadeshi, Jai Swadesh, and Deepak. He also worked as a correspondent for several renowned national publications including Prabhat, Pradeep, Jan Pradeep (Hindi dailies from Jalandhar), Current Weekly (Bombay), Dinman Hindi Weekly (Delhi), Daily Motherland, and Hindustan Samachar News Agency, among others.
Lala Gopal Sachar became widely known in journalistic, political, and administrative circles across Jammu and Kashmir and beyond. His long association with the Hind Samachar group of newspapers, Jalandhar, further cemented his reputation as a fearless and unbiased journalist. Throughout his career, he was admired for his integrity, objectivity, and unwavering commitment to truth.
His passing on 14 November 2022 at his Gandhi Nagar residence marked the end of an era. He was 95. His death was a major loss to the field of journalism and to Jammu and Kashmir, which lost a courageous voice of patriotism—one who never feared authority or separatist elements. He reported extensively on Jammu and Kashmir for national newspapers, bringing out the truth with unmatched clarity and conviction.
Lala Gopal Sachar was a thorough professional, self-respecting, and above all, a great human being. Even in his advanced age, he remained active and continued to send news reports and analyses until a few months before his demise.
The 14th of November 2022 will forever be remembered as the day when Jammu lost a great visionary and one of its most respected journalists. Lala Gopal Sachar will always be remembered as a gentleman who endeared himself to countless people through his simplicity, affable manners, and lively, forward-looking outlook.
Dominating the journalistic horizon of the Jammu region for nearly six decades with dignity and grace, he remains an enduring symbol of dedication and service. His immense contributions to journalism and society will continue to inspire generations of journalists and truth-seekers.
Though Lala Gopal Sachar Sahib is no longer with us, his selfless service to humanity ensures that his name will forever live in our hearts.
(The writer is a freelancer and a Social Worker Ph: 9419652999)
