Hindi Journalism Day: Steps towards a glorious journey of 200 years, started with ‘Udant Martand’

Kolkata: Today ‘Hindi Journalism Day’ is being celebrated with great enthusiasm across the country. Today is a very historic day in the history of Indian journalism. Exactly 200 years ago, i.e. on 30 May 1826, Pandit Jugal Kishore Shukla (who was a resident of Kanpur) started publishing India’s first Hindi weekly newspaper “Udant Martand” from Kolkata (then Calcutta).

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symbol of truth and courage

According to experts, the publication of ‘Udant Martand’ proved to be a milestone for Indian democracy and society. This newspaper, started during the British rule, played an important role in spreading awareness in the society and alerting the citizens about their rights. This day is dedicated to the unwavering contribution of all the Hindi journalists of the country working for truth, courage and public welfare. The meaning of this newspaper, which was published in Khari dialect, a mixture of Braj and Awadhi, was ‘Rising Sun’, but due to lack of concession in postal rates and severe financial constraints, it had to be closed on 4 December 1827 after about one and a half years of publication. Despite the limited run of a total of 79 issues, this newspaper played a historic and epoch-making role in awakening the Indian society and laying a strong foundation of Hindi journalism. At that time, many newspapers were published in Calcutta in English, Bengali and Persian languages, but there was no newspaper to convey its message to the Hindi speaking people.

Pandit Yugal Kishore Shukla understood this challenge and made a historic beginning by becoming the editor of the first Hindi newspaper. To remember his incomparable contribution, the library of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), New Delhi, is named in his memory as ‘Pt. ‘Yugaal Kishore Shukla Library’ has been kept. His name will always be recorded in golden letters in the history of Hindi journalism. During the British period, its main goal was to raise voice for the rights of countrymen and Indians. Many years after the closure of ‘Udant Martand’, he did not give up and tried to bring out another newspaper by the name ‘Samyadant Martand’ in 1850.

Deep impact on society and culture

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Experts believe that this first newspaper started a new era of journalism in India. Since then, the importance of Hindi newspapers in the country continued to increase. Today, even in this modern era of digital and print, Hindi journalism remains the most powerful medium to raise the voice of the general public and provide accurate information to them. Today, on this special occasion, various programs are being organized by media institutions and journalist associations across the country, where the changing nature of journalism and its social responsibility are being discussed.