Lala Mulk Raj Saraf (8 April 1894 - 21 February 1989) was an Indian journalist and writer, with over seventy years of a distinguished career in journalism and social service. With several firsts to his name, he is most renowned for overcoming all odds to lay the foundation of journalism in J&K, setting up the first printing press, and publishing the region's first newspaper, Ranbir. For his pioneering efforts in enabling a free press in J&K, he is known as the "Father of Journalism in Jammu and Kashmir". A freedom fighter, social reformer, and much loved public figure, he was awarded the Padma Shri in 1976. Saraf established the JDGD Saraf Trust for promoting conscientious journalism in 1985. The Trust has emerged as a highly prestigious institution in the realm of journalism. It has played a crucial role in encouraging the growth of a healthy press by periodically venerating the veterans and decorating the youngsters for their distinctive achievements in the line. He was born on 8 April 1894 in the

Samba district Samba district is an administrative district in the Jammu division of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region. The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kash ...

of the Indian state of

Jammu and Kashmir Jammu and Kashmir may refer to: * Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), a region administered by India as a union territory since 2019 * Jammu and Kashmir (state), a region administered by India as a state from 1952 to 2019 * Jammu and Kashmir (prin ...

to Dayanand Saraf and Jamuna Devi and graduated from the Government Gandhi Memorial Science College

Jammu Jammu () is a city in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region.The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute ...

. He started his career as a sub-editor at the nationalist daily ''Bande Mataram'' based in Punjab, worked there for a while, and returned to Jammu in 1924 to start J&K's first newspaper Ranbir, and Rattan, one of the most successful children's magazines of the pre-independence era with subscribers from India and what is now, Pakistan. Saraf wrote several articles and was the author of books such as ''Meri Pakistan Yatra'', ''Insaniyat Abhi Zinda Hai'' and ''Nagooh-e-Ranvir''. ''Meri Pakistan Yatra'', which detailed his reminiscences of his trip to Pakistan was selected as the ''Book of the Year'' by the

Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages Jammu () is a city in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region.The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute is supported by the tertiary source ...

in 1980. His autobiographical work was published in 1967 under the title, ''Fifty years as a journalist''. Saraf was the author of the first biography published in

Dogri language Dogri (Devanagari: ; Name Dogra Akkhar: ; Nastaliq: ; ) is an Indo-Aryan language of the Western Pahari group, primarily spoken in the Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir, India, with smaller groups of speake ...

, '''Sher-e-Duggar Lala Hans Raj Mahajan Jeevan Katha, who was born in hamirpur sidhar j&k, which was released in 1968. He was awarded the fourth highest Indian civilian award of

Padma Shri The Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī'', lit. 'Lotus Honour'), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. In ...

by the

Government of India The Government of India (ISO 15919, ISO: Bhārata Sarakāra, legally the Union Government or Union of India or the Central Government) is the national authority of the Republic of India, located in South Asia, consisting of States and union t ...

in 1976. Mulk Raj Saraf died on 21 February 1989, at the age of 94, in Mumbai at the residence of his son,

Ved Rahi Ved Rahi (born 22 May 1933) is an Indian author predominantly writing in Dogri language. He directed well received mythological serial Meerabai for Doordarshan in 1996 under UTV productions. He is also credited for screenplay and dialogues of v ...

, a known Bollywood film personality and the director of the film,

Veer Savarkar Vinayak Damodar Savarkar (28 May 1883 – 26 February 1966 ), was an Indian politician, activist and writer. Savarkar developed the Hindu nationalist political ideology of Hindutva while confined at Ratnagiri in 1922. The prefix "Veer" (mea ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saraf, Mulk Raj 1894 births 1989 deaths Kashmiri people Kashmiri Pandits People from Samba district 20th-century Indian journalists Journalists from Jammu and Kashmir Urdu-language journalists

See also

References