M A I N   N E W S

The people's paper

The Tribune is one of the oldest newspapers of India. It has played a major role in the awakening of the people. The newspaper owes its origin to Sardar Dyal Singh of Majitha village in Amritsar. It was during his sojourn in England and travels in Europe that he realised the importance of the Press in the life of a nation. Although as early as in 1872, a weekly, Civil and Military Gazette, had started in Shimla, there was no organ to give voice to the people of India. The Vernacular Press Act, 1878, which sought to muzzle the Indian Press was in force at that time. This prompted Dyal Singh to start The Tribune as a weekly from Lahore on February 2, 1881, the year the Vernacular Press Act was repealed.

The first issue of The Tribune carried a long editorial expressing the foundational principles of the paper and laying down guidelines for the future. It said: “Our appearance in the field of journalism to meet a crying want of this part of India, namely, an English journal for the presentation of ‘native’ opinion”.

The aim of this newspaper was to advocate the cause of the mute masses and to represent the public opinion of India.

As the mouthpiece of the people, The Tribune carried 20 articles on the need of education in Punjab on modern lines through the medium of English with the very first issue onwards.

Ideals espoused by The Tribune were truly nationalistic, as it professed to champion the cause of the people regardless of class or creed, and to stand for the welfare of the masses, even as it meant withstanding the pressures of the colonial government or facing adversities and restrictions, including litigations.

The fearless journalism practised by The Tribune soon came to test when within 10 months of its launch, it confronted the government over biased reporting in Civil and Military Gazette on the Multan riots, thereby winning people’s confidence and acclaim from other newspapers across the country.

The Tribune witnessed a major crisis at the time of Partition. Trustees of The Tribune decided to continue its publication from Lahore, but the circumstances compelled them to shift to Shimla where the India edition started. Later, it was shifted to Ambala and after a few years, to Chandigarh where it has been flourishing.

In 1978, it also started editions in Hindi and Punjabi. Today The Tribune and its sister publications are also published from New Delhi and Jalandhar.

The glorious history of 125 years of The Tribune is a shining example of the true ideals of journalism.

(This is the text of the brochure brought out by the Department of Posts to commemorate the release of the stamp.)