By Ravi Rohmetra
Lala Mulk Raj Saraf was a pioneer in journalism, especially in the J&K State. He was born on 8th April 1894 at Samba to father Dayanand Saraf and mother Smt. Jamuna Devi. After matriculation, he joined Prince of Wales College (now Government Gandhi Memorial Science College, Jammu) and graduated from Punjab University, Lahore. Congress leaders had started working for “Daily Bande Matram”, a leading newspaper of the time which gained popularity among leading papers of the country, and consequently it was here that Saraf joined the nationalist daily Bande Matram as a sub-editor, being brought out by the great nationalist leader Lala Lajpat Rai, popularly known as the Sher-e-Punjab.
Saraf was elevated as sub-editor by the management, but he resigned and returned to Jammu. At Jammu, he started his own daily Urdu paper “Ranbir” and an Urdu journal “Rattan” in 1924. “Ranbir” became one of the leading Urdu daily newspapers of the country, due to which Lala Mulk Raj Saraf was given the title of “Baba-e-Sahafat” (Father of Journalism).
He was awarded “Padma Shri” in 1976. Working journalists, on the occasion of a national conference at Cuttack in Orissa in 1986, through its president K. Vikram Rao, wrote to him, “We wish to honour ourselves by honouring you.” In another function, then Chief Minister Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah had rightly remarked that Shri Saraf earned the distinction of Padma Shri because of his superb qualities both as a journalist and a freedom fighter, and the best service we could do to the country was to emulate his example.
Widely travelled, Saraf took extensive tours to the Soviet Union, Britain, Germany, China, America and Pakistan, etc. His visits to Pakistan and America at the ages of 86 and 92 respectively speak of his good health and his commitment to journalism and social causes. He used to say, “I am still young and hope to be young even at the age of 100.” When he visited Pakistan in 1979, several papers of that country had written articles praising him for his contribution in the field of journalism. On his return, he wrote a book – “Meri Pakistan Yatra”, which was selected as “Book of the Year” and was also awarded by the J&K Cultural Academy.
He also wrote “Insaniyat Abhi Zinda Hai” and “Nagooh-e-Ranbir”. Besides, he wrote more than two hundred articles on socio-economic, political and cultural topics which were published in his own paper “Ranbir” and “Chand” weekly edited by Dewan Narsingh Dass Nargis, and in many other leading journals of the country. Today, hundreds of journals, both dailies and periodicals, are being published from Jammu and Kashmir; one cannot even think of the heroic task of obtaining permission to bring out the first newspaper, which ultimately appeared in 1924 from the State. Nevertheless, Mulk Raj Saraf, displaying a steel will, got over all the hurdles with the meagre resources at his disposal. All necessary arrangements were made interestingly. Maharaja Partap Singh donated Rs 100, while Raja Hari Singh gave Rs 50 annually for the “pioneer enterprise”. A dummy edition of the first newspaper “The Ranbir” was issued on May 20, 1924, which was received by the public very warmly. Thus, “Ranbir” made the history of the press when its first regular issue appeared on May 24, 1924.
It was only the dedication to journalism and determination of (now) late Mulk Raj Saraf that overcame the obduracy of the bureaucracy, which did not allow any outlet for voicing the grievances of the people. This made it possible, as Saraf wrote in his “Fifty Years as a Journalist” in the early 1970s. The attitude and keen interest of the ruler of the State, Maharaja Partap Singh, who encouraged him in realising this pioneering venture in Jammu and Kashmir, even then took Saraf over three years to persuade the bureaucrats of the State to grant permission to bring out the first newspaper. It would be interesting to go through that saga of struggle by Lala Mulk Raj Saraf, who is deservedly known as the “Father of Journalism” in Jammu & Kashmir.
He wrote a book on Sher-e-Duggar Lala Hans Raj Mahajan, “Jeevan Katha”, in which he wrote the life history of the founder of Mahajan Sabha, Sher-e-Duggar Lala Hans Raj Mahajan. In 1931, he became the President of Akhil Bhartiya Mahajan Shiromani Sabha. It was on June 24, 1924, that a social activist of Jammu, Mulk Raj Saraf, started a weekly called “Ranvir” with social regeneration as its motto. The publication of “Ranvir” in Jammu prompted others also to join the bandwagon of the social reform movement.
Saraf has always associated himself with a larger social cause of a constructive character.
With his long and distinguished services in the cause of journalism, Shri Saraf is rightly regarded as the father of journalism in Jammu and Kashmir.”
This great journalist breathed his last on 21st February 1989 at the residence of his son Ved Rahi (a well-known figure of the film industry) in Bombay. He will be remembered for all the times to come.
(Ravi Rohmetra is a freelance writer and a Social Worker. Mob : 9419652999, Email : [email protected])
