Patrika Timeline

The Patrika Group was established by Karpoor Chandra Kulish in 1956. Kulish was deeply conscious, not only about journalism but also about press freedom. The day he felt, while working as a journalist, that his pen was not free and his constitutional right to freedom of speech was being violated, he resigned from his job. That very day, he laid the foundation of ‘Rajasthan Patrika.’

In his autobiography ‘Dhara Prawah,’ he wrote, “I could not tolerate this restriction. I sent my resignation letter in protest. It settled in my mind that if there is a newspaper, it should be one where no compromises are made.”

English newspapers dominated the daily newspaper space at the time. Kulish began Rajasthan Patrika, the first evening daily newspaper in Jaipur, with borrowed capital of just five hundred rupees, and March 7, 1956 was written in golden letters in the history of Indian journalism.

The headline of the March 13, 1956 edition read: “Government does not have the right to increase taxes without law,” from the second day of the Rajasthan Government’s budget session. The Central Government’s campaign for the abolition of the Jagirdari system was given two columns on the front page, aligning the paper with democratic values and equality.

In its early years Jaipur witnessed three major public movements, all actively covered by the paper: a student movement against increased school fees, the 1957 anti-tax increase movement, and the 1958 movement against abolishing the Rajasthan High Court bench in Jaipur. When the press owner printing Patrika refused to continue over its stance, alternative arrangements were made and publication continued uninterrupted.

As demand outgrew rented presses, Patrika secured a loan of fifteen thousand rupees from the state government and purchased an old cylinder and treadle machine, shifting printing to its own press.

During the general elections the newspaper expanded to four pages. Its February 26, 1962 edition accurately predicted that the Congress Party would secure only a nominal majority in Rajasthan.

Rajasthan Patrika became a morning daily in its current format. Waiting for the Patrika became part of the daily routine for Rajasthan’s people.

Its coverage of the India–Pakistan war stirred such patriotism in Jaipur that citizens began raising funds for the nation. That year Patrika began printing with an automatic machine, introducing eight-column sheets.