Inspite of bring witness to the demise of Karmayogi and Swarajya Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi dared to venture into the mine field of freedom journalism.
He had already thought of the name of the brain child ‘Pratap’.
He started contacting people who could be interested in his dangerous venture.
The editor-publisher of Karmayogi, Pundit Sunderlal heard about the plans of Vidyarthi and was amazed at his foolhardiness.
At the same time he was worried for the youngman because he had grown a great liking to Vidyarthi. He knew the hazards of publishing anti-government material.
Then, why was he taking such high risk?
Sunderlal knew that Vidyarthi was determined youngman. If he had decided upon something he would do it come what may. Still he decided to give Vidyarthi a word of caution as a personal duty. He wrote a letter to Vidyarthi. After the courtesy words he had come to the point—
‘What I experience through Karmayogi was sweet and sour. Not only that I have buried in my heart the bitter experiences as well which a few people know about. I want you to keep in mind those experiences and tread very carefully.’
Vidyarthi was thankful for the letter from the old friend and the guide. He read the letter carefully and prepared the reply in measured words without being boastful—
‘I have carefully read your letter and am grateful to you being so caring for me. I welcome your suggestion. But it is not necessary that same things would happen to Pratap what happened with Karmayogi and Swarajya. Then I have that experience we share to keep me warned and alert. And I am not afraid of the consequences. Some one has to raise voice against in British injustice. My ‘Pratap’ will do it. It will make it not so easy to finish Pratap. Thank again for the words of caution.’
Vidyarthi found two willing partners in Narain Prasad Arora and Pundit Shivanarain Mishra who agreed to shoulder the responsibility of Pratap. They put together enough money to set up a press. Some money was borrowed too.
Pratap started to come out from Peeli-Kothi.
As finances were tight the three partners decided to do major part of the work themselves. None of them would mind running errands for the press or doing menial jobs like cleaning the press, sweeping floors besides proof reading, typesetting and the editing. The paper could not afford large staff.
In the inaugural issue of the newspaper Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi threw light on the aims, objectives and programmes of Pratap—
‘Pratap has descended on the field with new hopes in the heart and having earnest faith in its objectives. The main objective is to work for the welfare of the society and the mankind. We consider that objective can be achieved through largely the means of the progress of India.
By progress we mean higher output of agriculture, trade, education, art, prosperity, power, respect, morality and nobility. To take India to that height we need countless industries, works and actions. We believe in national unity, good mass literacy system, public welfare, efficient and good administration, eradication of social evils, self-reliance and discipline. The aim of our paper will be to highlight these principles and means.
We shall not lag behind anyone in praising our ancient culture and racial glory. We shall sing praises of books on our great forefathers, science, philosophy and religious beliefs but we shall not hesitate in criticizing our evil social customs, racial weaknesses and defects without being vitriolic.
We believe that the false pride works the downfall of a race. Someone’s praise or criticism, threat or abuse and pleasure or displeasure won’t make us deviate from the principled path.
Pratap will not involve itself in communal and personal rivalries. It is not born to propagate or oppose any social organisation, creed or caste, party or entity. Its policy will be to stick to the truth, faith and independence of thoughts…
Man’s progress is related to the truth. So, suppression of the truth will be cardinal sin for us. Upholding the truth will be our religion.
We know that our path is strewn with thorns and pitfalls. A great courage and moral power is needed. We are also aware that we have inherited weaknesses, slavery, ignorance and shortages. Such atmosphere we are born in. Yet we have the will to march on the path of the truth. We pin our firm faith in the sanctity of our objectives. So, we hope, in the end we shall succeed in our noble mission.
The day our souls becomes too weak to continue on the path of the principles, we degrade ourselves low enough to willingly support the falsehood, we become corrupt to show the cowardice of deserting liberty, generosity and impartiality that day will be most unfortunate of our lives.
In such case, we would like to end our lives when our morality dies.’
With such noble thoughts and values Pratap began its perilous journey on a narrow path allowed by colonial meanness, the dangers of administrative hostility stalking from both sides and the police laying mines beyond every turn.
The beginning was very tough. Kanpur city just ignored its arrival.
Merely just 200-250 people read it regularly. It was hard work to sell extra 50-60 copies.
But gradually the things changed. Impartial treatment to news, balanced views, patriotic scent and honest reporting in simple language began to win the hearts and the minds of the people. It also reached the rural areas because of its simple language and understanding of the grassroot level truth.
Pratap made unprecedented progress in rural areas and pricnely states around. Its simplicity and honest thoughts even caught the imagination of the educated class who had been reading complicated views in high sounding words that revealed little and created confusions only. Pratap was straight forward that did not mince words.
Pratap continued to grow and earned more and more respect of the people. It had become the darling newspaper of the freedom lovers that cared for the interests of the Indians at political, social, economic commercial and cultural levels. The strange fact was that no one knew Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi whose mind protection Pratap was. The reason was that during those days the newspapers did not carry the name of the editor.
Vidyarthi was a youngman of kind and generous nature. His articles and editorials would be full of patriotic flavour and disapproval of the colonial rule.
On several occasions he drew a very touching picture of slavery, poverty and injustice ridden helpless India which moved a million hearts. Reading Pratap had become a very emotional involvement for most of its readers.
They could see the state of their country through the eyes of Pratap.
Vidyarthi gave foremost importance to national interests and never condoned injustice, tyranny and exploitation. Nor did he ever make any compromise. With a firm resolve he called spade a spade without caring for the price he might have to pay in doing so. For him black always remained black and white was always white.
When Pratap was doing comparatively good business the Peeli Kothi office fell short space. Moving to a larger space became essential for efficient handling of the printing of the newspaper.
In 1915, Pratap shifted to a spacious accommodation in Kurswas colony.
Meanwhile, due to some undisclosed reasons one of the partners Narain Prasad Arora decided to part ways with the Pratap. Now all the burden of running Pratap fell on Vidyarthi and Mishra. The two were not discouraged. Still they had not employed large staff. There only were some press correspondents, compositors and a clerk named Sheetal Prasad.
During this period Vidyarthi was living at a relatives’ near the office of the municipal committee.
From Pratap Vidyarthi was drawing a salary of only forty rupees a month. In that salary Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi was managing the needs of his family of a wife and children.
He was an idealist journalist. Making money out of his trade was not his aim. Journalism was his life’s mission of uploading the truth and justice.
He preferred to die rather than compromise his values.
Vidyarthi was not for sale.
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