Today, the 5th of July 2015, we at the Daily Excelsior, solemnly commemorate the third death anniversary of its founder Editor Sh S.D. Rohmetra. This day brings to our memory the enviable services, which he rendered for nearly half a century to the enrichment of intellectual and academic assets of people of the country in general and Jammu and Kashmir in particular. As a journalist, he did not remain just content with mundane news reporting or with commonplace event commentaries. By inducting vision, deep perception and conviction of service to society into his journalistic philosophy, he translated into practice what the axiom of press as the “Fourth Estate” meant. Conviction and courage are two pillars on which Shri Rohmetra rested the edifice called Daily Excelsior.
Fifty years ago, late Sh S. D. Rohmetra started publishing the weekly Excelsior, then a small and ordinary paper, to cater to limited readership in Jammu. With enormous faith in his hard work and confidence in his venture of social importance, he planned and conceptualized tirelessly for decades, till Daily Excelsior reached the heights of success and immense popularity. Today, fifty years from the day of its inception, the Daily Excelsior stands out as the premier spokesman of the vast society of our State. This enviable success could be achieved on two counts. One was his vision of deftly handling the fast changing situations in the State owing to its unique position among the federating States of the Indian Union and, secondly for his extraordinary managerial skills that infused confidence and the spirit of dedication to work among the staff working at the Daily Excelsior. The paper owes its immense popularity and rapid rise in readership numbers to the selfless service rendered by a posse of efficient and responsive staff. Perfect coordination between the field and the office functionaries has made the Daily Excelsior leading English daily in the State.
Today when J&K is passing through an era of upheavals, we appreciate the exemplary farsightedness of Shri S.D. Rohmetra of how the press should preserve neutrality with courage and conviction and steer through turbulent waters. His guidelines and precedence serves us the beacon light in a surrounding, beset with recurring controversies.
The Daily Excelsior has shown considerable progress as the outstanding trustee of public opinion in State. We are proud to say that the Excelsior family has very successfully carried forward the mission at the Daily Excelsior, where Shri Rohmetra had left it. Destiny snatched him from our hands at a time when we were poised to add new dimensions to the art of public awareness. Nevertheless, we promise our readers across the State, that we will try to maintain the standard and the sanctity of the profession for which the roadmap was laid by Shri S.D. Rohmetra. We are hopeful that our readers, commentators, columnists and the general public will continue giving us their unstinted support and encouragement so that we all together serve the nation.
-Kamal & Neeraj
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