Today, January 1, 2015, Daily Excelsior has completed half a century of its dedicated service to the people of the State and is poised for even far more meritorious service in the years to come. It was fifty years ago on January 1, 1965 that the visionary founder of the paper, late Shri S.D. Rohmetra undertook the task of incepting a paper that would stand mirror to the times and take lead in educating inquisitive and information savvy people in the State about current affairs that were bound to shape the future of the State.
Daily Excelsior had started as a modest tabloid in 1965 to cater to a limited segment of society but as days unfolded and the interest of the reading public pulsated with urge for fuller and more variegated knowledge, the organisation expanded its outreach gradually meeting the aspirations of the vast reading public of the State.
The year that has just gone by, has been full of events, situations and challenges for us and the nation in more than one way. We responded to these with utmost caution and care maintaining at all costs the journalistic ethos and propriety. Whatever skill and acumen we have demonstrated in handling the situations and challenges during the past year, are firstly owing to the professional competence and efficiency that have come down to us from the astute roadmap drawn by the late founder Shri Rohmetra. Secondly, our team of dedicated staffers whether in the office or in the field, has, as usual, contributed immensely to its quality and popularity by demonstrating rare sense of responsibility and coordination to bring satisfaction to the reading public.
The past year witnessed some very significant events like the Parliamentary election in April-May and Assembly election in November-December. Daily Excelsior covered both of these events with meticulous accuracy, fairness and detail. Our reporters and field staff left no stone unturned to cover even the minutest detail pertaining to these events.
A natural calamity struck the State in September last. There were floods in almost all big rivers of the State and their tributaries. The city of Srinagar met with unprecedented inundation, which also washed away our branch office in Pratap Park and our staff had to take recourse to make-shift arrangement so that no pause appeared in transmission of news and views. They posted vivid pictures of the calamity and the suffering of people in Kashmir and other places.
Responding to the call of conscience for humanitarian support to the flood victims, Daily Excelsior raised a fund of 12 lac rupees for the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund.
This year posed very grave challenge to the security of the country as Pakistani Rangers resorted to unprovoked firing and shelling across the Line of Control (LoC) and also the International Border. Many precious lives were lost and hundreds of families had to be shifted to safer abodes. Our reporters covered all these dangerous events even at the risk of their lives and thus brought to the notice of the general public and the authorities the volatile situation on the border.
In regard to reflecting reaction of the civil society to administrative measures and policies, it has been our constant effort that we should adequately highlight all measures and policies that tend to improve the quality of life and democratic rights of people of the state. We take pride in advocating and promoting civil, social, political and economic and human rights of the people of the State. But at the same time, we do not hesitate to point out discrepancies in public administration with the intention of sensitizing the Government to its responsibilities. We have often raised the question why various projects of far reaching importance to the public are not completed within time schedule or are not executed in accordance with their blue print. We are often asking, why grants are allowed to lapse when these should have been spent for the development of our rural and backward areas. At the same time, we have and shall continue to insist on equitable justice to all the three regions of the State in matters of grants, development, services, communication, social welfare and other things.
On more positive note Daily Excelsior published Report Card of MLAs of the State wherein our team of correspondents and photographers travelled across the State (from Lakhanpur to Ladakh), to each and every constituency for an on spot assessment of the work done by the Legislators. Another feather in our cap is that Daily Excelsior Internet Edition is receiving nearly 18 lacs hits on daily basis. Last year, it was only 6 lacs and now the viewership has witnessed three-fold jump. Being the premier source of information on current affairs of the State, Daily Excelsior has also made its presence felt on the social media and keeps its subscribers informed about all the news-worthy events in the State through Twitter, Facebook, etc.
Lastly Excelsior Team invokes goodwill and support of its readers so that we are able to keep them abreast with the latest happening in and around the State before anybody else can do so. As voice of the people, Daily Excelsior will give maximum space to the news and views related to the people in all the three regions of the State, with impartiality and fairness.
We fervently hope and pray for continued harmonious relationship between the Excelsior team and our valuable readers. Together in unison we have more heights to scale and more laurels to win.
-Kamal & Neeraj
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