Adopt ‘nation first’ approach: Uttarakhand governor at Haridwar press meet

HARIDWAR: India will emerge as a strong, prosperous nation and a global leader when it completes 100 years of Independence, Uttarakhand governor Lt Gen Gurmit Singh (retd) said on Wednesday.

Speaking at the bicentenary celebrations of Hindi journalism organised by the Haridwar Press Club, Singh said the media must adapt to digitisation and artificial intelligence while also fostering cultural awakening and social harmony. He said Hindi journalism, as the language of the masses, gives voice to the poor and marginalised and strengthens democracy whenever it weakens. The governor urged journalists to work with a “nation first” approach, expressing hope that Haridwar would become as clean and well-managed as Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar.


The event marked the third programme in a five-part series leading up to May 30 next year, celebrated as Hindi Patrakarita Diwas, when Hindi journalism will complete 200 years, Press Club president Dharmendra Chaudhari said.

PTI editor Nirmal Pathak, the guest of honour, traced the journey of Hindi journalism from the launch of Udant Martand by Pandit Jugal Kishore Shukla on May 30, 1826. He noted that the first Hindi newspaper shut within a year due to limited resources and readership but laid the foundation for a movement that continues to serve society.

Pathak said Hindi journalism during the British era was seen as an act of satyagraha, later supported nation-building after Independence, and eventually faced challenges amid growing commercial pressures and conflicts with the government.