Hindustan Times started by Akalis

ARE YOU AWARE THAT "HINDUSTAN TIMES" WAS STARTED BY AKALI DAL ?

It was Started by Sikh Educationist Freedom Fighter AKALI Leader S Sundar Singh Lyallpuri.

👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣

💐🌺🍀🌷🌸🙏🙏🌸🌷🍀🌺💐

Hindustan Times

Sunder Singh Lyallpuri (Punjabi: ਸੁੰਦਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਲਾਇਲਪੁਰੀ; 1878 - 3 March 1969) a leading Sikh member of the Indian independence movement, a general of Akali Movement, an educationist, and journalist. Lyallpuri played a key role in the development of the Shiromani Akali Dal, and in the Sikh Reform Movement of the early 1920s.

Pt Madan Mohan Malayia was a very good friend of Master Lyallpuri. He had suggested to Master Lyallpuri that Akali should start one of their own English newspaper so that the Akal agenda and voice could reach every nook and corner of India. Accordingly, the 'Managing Board' of The Akali newspaper held a meeting under chairmanship of Lyallpuri and decided to found an English daily. The Board assigned the task to Master Lyallpuri and S Mangal Singh Gill. However, the move received a setback when Lyallpuri was arrested under section 124 'O' for writing what the English Government thought was objectionable material in The Akali. On release from jail, Lyallpuri resumed the efforts and put an advertisement in The Akali asking for donations for five Lakhs from Sikh Sangat. In response, the Punjabi fans of Master Lyallpuri from Stockton (USA) immediately wired Rs 150,000. Another Rs 70,000 was contributed by local Sikh community with the efforts of Lyallpuri. S Mangal Singh Gill and Chanchal Singh (Jandiala, Jullundur) were made in charge of the newspaper. Pt Madan Mohan Malaviya and Master Tara Singh were members of the Managing Committee. K. S. Panikar was its first Editor. Devdas Gandhi was also on the editor's panel. The Managing chairman and Chief Patron was Master Lyallpuri himself. The opening ceremony was performed by Mahatma Gandhi on 15 September 1924. The first issue was published from Naya Bazar, Delhi (Now: Swami Sharda Nand Marag).[14] It was very unfortunate for the Sikhs that due to lack of experience, and jealousy and betrayal of the fellows like Master Tara Singh and S. Mangal Singh Gill, as well as due to lack of viable financial resources, the Hindustan Times soon came into severe grip of financial crisis so that its ownership had to be sold to Pt Madan Mohan Malayia. Even Pt Malayia could not keep it running for long and he sold it to G. D. Birla.[15] The sale of the ownership of the Hindustan Times had caused a great mental anguish to Lyallpuri. Master Lylallpuri has personally written that: "S. Mangal Singh and Co. torpedoed my aim of nationalism and of Hindu-Sikh-Muslim-Christian unity. They rather gave it a communal twist, so the Akalis had to part company with Hindustan Times; and this also caused winding up of the Sikh Center at Delhi which I had established with so much fondness and hard labour[16]

Hindustan Times which was founded by Master Sunder Singh Lyallpuri and friends and later sold out by Akalis now forms one of the most leading groups of Indian dailies and is published from several places, besides Delhi.

SS Ahluwalia