“Pratap: a Defiant Newspaper” chronicling a century of courageous journalism launched at KMV

Jalandhar, February 13,2025: Kanya Maha Vidyalaya (Autonomous) successfully hosted the book release of “Pratap:  A Defiant Newspaper”, authored by distinguished journalist and senior Editor Chander Mohan, President, Arya Shiksha Mandal and his daughter Jyotsna Mohan. 

The Chief guest Justice (Retd.)N. K. Sud was accorded floral felicitations on this occasion. This momentous event was graced by a galaxy of prominent personalities from various fields and eminent members of KMV Managing Committee who gathered to celebrate the official launch of the book. Members of the KMV Managing Committee, including Neerja Chander Mohan, Dr. Sushma Chopra, Dhruv Mittal, Prof. Suresh Seth, Dr. Satpal Gupta and Irwin Khanna and Rajesh Bali also graced the event. 

Welcoming the chief guest, Principal Prof. Dr. Atima Sharma Dwivedi congratulated the father-daughter duo on this outstandingly creative,  impassioned and  profound endeavour that will prove to be a milestone in the history of  fearless valorous journalism, true to its vision and mission. She expressed that historical perspective rendered to his personal saga of struggle and resilience in autobiographical tone by Chander Mohan leads the readers on this engaging journey back to the past with easy flow of thoughts, thematic cohesiveness and soulful insights making this book a must-read. Published by Harper and Collins India, the book titled ‘Pratap- A Defiant Newspaper’ traces the journey of the Urdu newspaper Pratap and its Hindi successor Vir Pratap, their founder and editors, and key moments in Indian history. Launched by Mahashay Krishan on 30 March 1919 and ably carried on by his son Virendra and later his grandson Chander, the Urdu newspaper Pratap—and its Hindi successor Vir Pratap was a torchbearer against the British Raj that covered all the major events during India’s struggle for independence and after, until it wound up in 2017 after rendering service for almost a century. Known for its bold stance, Pratap faced shutdowns, arrests, and even a parcel bomb, yet remained a fearless voice and stood like a rock against tide of times. The book also chronicles in a compelling and meticulous manner the life of the founder’s son Sh. Virendra who once walked shoulder to shoulder with stalwarts like Bhagat Singh and Chandrashekhar Azad. 

In a poignant narrative that weaves historical facts in unbiased Journalistic writing, Chander Mohan recounts horrors of Partition, vicissitudes of the family that had to shift from Lahore to Jalandhar and political turbulence particularly during the Punjab militancy of the 1980 and 90's. The co-author of the book Jyotsna Mohan, with nearly three decades of experience across TV, print and digital media, is the fourth generation journalist and editor of this illustrious family. Beaming with pride, elation and a sense of accomplishment, she adds that the first launch of the book is being celebrated in Jalandhar in Punjab where a succession of events that unfold in the book are set. Both the authors describe this book as ‘A journey of history, courage, and storytelling coming to life’ with a message of Fight for Right, importance of speaking truth to power and values like compassion, tolerance and love for all against communal hatred. Sh. Suresh Seth shared his review that this is a thought- provoking book that raises more questions than addressing pertinent issues regarding the role of Press in building New India. 

The Chief Guest of the day, Justice Sud congratulated the family on bringing out a hitherto untold story of patriotism that needs to be told by the ones who had put so much at stake. He added that this book contains the footprints of great men and also reminisced the days spent with Virendra who had the courage to call spade a spade without yielding to political pressures. The engrossing details encapsulated in the book aroused students’ curiosity who raised queries that were addressed by the authors Chander Mohan and Jyotsna Mohan making this event lively and interactive. The book is available in print as well as digital form for avid book lovers. A formal vote of thanks was accorded by Dr. Madhumeet, Dean Student Welfare and HoD, Dept. of English to the august gathering for adding magnitude to the event with their presence.