Hari Jaisingh, who served as the Editor of The Tribune for nine years (1994-2003), during a period of insecurity and instability in the region, passed away on Wednesday.
Jaisingh was 85 and died after a brief hospitalisation.
The president of the Tribune Trust, NN Vohra, expressed sorrow at the demise and conveyed condolences to the bereaved family.
Jaisingh was fearless and unafraid of speaking truth to power. As Editor, he kept the newspaper steady in the face of recurring challenges on varied fronts. It was his uncompromising dharma to live up to the exemplary journalistic values of an institution founded by the great visionary, Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia.
In his last editorial in The Tribune, he wrote: “...freedom of the Press cannot be viewed in isolation, nor can it be an end in itself. Press freedom has a profound social relevance…Freedom has to be related to the promotion of just causes and the building of a liberal and egalitarian polity and the accountability of those in authority.”
Jaisingh distinguished himself as a champion of public causes and the rights of the common man. His bold writings struck a chord with readers and reverberated in the corridors of power. Whether it was the Ruchika molestation case involving a Haryana DGP (‘It is a question of dharma, Mr Chautala’, December 5, 2000) or the larger issue of probity in public life (‘No, My Lord!’, May 5, 2002), Jaisingh expressed his views in a forthright manner. The newspaper scaled new heights under his dynamic leadership and consolidated its pre-eminent position as the ‘Voice of the People’.
It was under his far-sighted guidance and encouragement that The Tribune took a giant leap and launched its online edition way back in 1998, when only a few other media houses even considered the idea.
As we bid farewell to our former Editor, we vow afresh to always draw inspiration from the power of his pen and continue our endeavours to strengthen this remarkable institution that has stood up for truth, justice and freedom of speech over the past nearly one hundred and fifty years.
