Indian Newslink steps into its 23rd year of publication today
Venkat Raman
Auckland, November 15, 2021
“All successful newspapers are ceaselessly querulous and bellicose. They never defend anyone or anything if they can help it; if the job is forced upon them, they tackle it by denouncing someone or something else.”
Almost seventy years after Henry Louis Mencken paid that left-handed compliment to scribes in his First Series of ‘Prejudices,’ the newspaper industry struggles to cope with itself, relentlessly pursuing commercial and professional objectives, trying to prove him wrong.
Call it freedom of expression, liberty of speech or the right to know, newspapers the world over have been platforms for reflecting public opinion, setting the stage for transparent exposure of ideas as well. Which is how and why newspapers have always been the eyes and ears of people.
A true servant of the people
On such a score, Indian Newslink could perhaps seek justification in its pride as a true servant of its people, who have extended their patronage since its first appearance twenty-two years ago.
In its anxiety to perform its tasks, maintaining avowed principles of class journalism, this fortnightly has had the privilege of support and guidance of advertisers, the officialdom and of course readers, without all of which, it could not have moved on.
More importantly, it has had the privilege and pride of a host of intellectuals and bold thinkers and writers such as Rajendra Prasad, Thakur Ranjit Singh, former Labour MP Dr Rajen Prasad, former Prime Ministers Sir John Key, Sir Bill English, Dame Helen Clark and current Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and many others.
Rajendra Prasad and Thakur Ranjit Singh encouraged our resolve to be free, independent and sans prejudice and it was an honour to carry their articles and open-eds. Needless to say that their contributions remain among the best pieces of journalism of the past three decades.
The newspaper has also had the distinction of exclusive articles written by Governors-General, Prime Ministers, Ministers, Leaders of the Opposition, Leaders of Political Parties, Members of Parliament, High Commissioners, Ambassadors and Diplomats on issues that have evinced the interests of wider communities.
Indian Newslink is grateful to the members of the Indian Community -people from India, Fiji and rest of the world, people of Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Nepali and Middle East origin and other communities for their continued support and patronage.
Tribute to Founder Ravin Lal
The success and sustenance of Indian Newslink truly belong to one man-its founder, owner and Managing Director Ravin Lal, a one-man army that kept up the onward march with an unremitting commitment towards corporate and social goals. That was until May 5, 2015, when the business was purchased by Jacob Mannothra, another person of fearless and independent thought and action, a long-standing friend and supporter of the newspapers.
Experience gained in the media industry in his native Fiji, New Zealand (running an Indian journal, ‘Sandesh’) and Europe in the 1970s and 1980s fortified Mr Lal’s ambitions as he returned to Auckland in 1996. An assignment as the marketing executive at a forest industry magazine fueled his ambition to edit and publish a newspaper.
“The Indian community was growing and there was no channel of communication to convey the issues and developments affecting its members. Several implications had to be considered before the first step,” he said, recalling the formative years.
Polling his meagre savings, Mr Lal launched a ‘Diwali Special’ in September 1999. A modest run of 3000 copies went out to the public through a small network of retail outlets. “It was a corker of an issue,” says an old and avid reader, “at last a newspaper for the community had arrived.” And with it Mr Lal. Indian Newslink debuted two months later (in November) but its continuity depended on a variety of factors, managing each of which, he demonstrated his mastery over men and matters.
Confidence amidst uncertainty
“An Indian newspaper was a novelty even in 1999-but there were many failures in the print medium (the closure of ‘Auckland Star’ a few years earlier had sent a chill through the spine of the industry) which were deterrent. Nonetheless, I was confident. The inaugural issue was priced at $2 which was admittedly a folly. The price tag was removed and the newspaper was ‘free to move.’ And yes, editing and managing a newspaper with part-time staff was a challenge,” Mr Lal said.
Marketing personnel are charmers, the evidence of which abounded in him. From advertising, marketing special features to copywriting, photography and selection of editorial material, he went about his job with a passion that should have been seen to be believed. The single most important attribute of the man behind the paper was his ceaseless energy and ability to sense the market needs, a quality that has kept him and his enterprise ticking.
Be it for advertisement placement or editorial coverage, it was not uncommon for people to consider Mr Lal as the one-stop authority.
It is often said, ‘Nothing succeeds like success,’ which is true of this newspaper. The initial months of struggle were rewarded by enthusiastic market response, which encouraged innovation.
Mr Lal added new columns and with his popularity in the community ensuring constant inflow of news, Indian Newslink became a source of endearment.
About Jacob Mannothra
Jacob Mannothra, who purchased the business in May 2015 has had more than a reading interest in the newspaper since its inception. A life-long friend, he has always been keen on being involved in media, and when the opportunity of owning the newspaper presented itself, he seized it as an important milestone in his professional pursuits.
“A newspaper should be fearless and journalists should have the freedom to publish the truth. Investors and owners should never enter the Newsroom, and never influence the thoughts of the Editor and journalists. I am happy that Indian Newslink remains independent of its ownership. I will continue to encourage the independence of our editorial team,” he said.
Partnership with Radio Tarana
The partnership between Indian Newslink and Radio Tarana is unique, deep-rooted and continuously growing. We compliment each other on many issues. For nine years, this Reporter hosted a Sunday Programme with Helen Clark during her tenure as the Prime Minister. The hour-long, live programme was the first of its type in New Zealand. Both media houses sponsor each other’s events and work as each other’s extension not only to offer the best to our customers but also enable staff to share each other’s expertise.
Radio Tarana Managing Director and Chief Executive Robert Khan has brought new meaning to media cooperation with both Mr Lal and Mannothra and our partnership extends to such quality engagements as Opinion Polls and Readership Surveys.
The Indian Newslink brands
This publication was the first to launch several projects which have not only become its brands but are also being emulated by others. The Veteran Soccer Tournament and Carnival, which began in 2001 has become an annual event of many Fijian organisations.
The newspaper launched its Business Awards Programme in 2008, followed by the Lecture Series in 2011, Sports Awards in 2012 which has now become Sports, Community, Arts and Culture Awards and Festivals of South India in 2019.
Each of these projects bespeaks quality and integrity, thanks to the untiring efforts of our various independent panels of judges, sponsors, advertisers, teams of professionals, caterers, volunteers and most important of all, entrants, participants and patrons.
Worldwide, all-time reach
From its initial periodicity of being a monthly and then a fortnightly, Indian Newslink has become primarily a digital operation, publishing stories, exclusive reports, interviews and features and updating them round-the-clock on its website. Reader-reach is more extensive and global today through our website, Digital Edition and social media including Twitter, Facebook (Four Pages), LinkedIn and various WhatsApp groups. A biweekly Newsletter is sent to thousands of subscribers (on Wednesdays and Saturdays) carrying a selection of stories that have appeared on its platforms over the previous three days.
As we step into the 23rd year of publishing, Indian Newslink avers to continue pursuit of excellence, independence, fairness and service to our communities. The support and patronage of our leaders across the political spectrum, government officials, captains of industry, readers and well-wishers have helped Indian Newslink to grow from strength to strength and we rededicate ourselves to the service of our society with higher levels of professionalism.
