India: Information on the Punjabi language newspapers published in Canada including the Ajit, published in Toronto and the Chardikak in British Colombia, both on their ownership, their activities and their ratings by any outside groups of journalists and human rights activists
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 August 1995 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | IND21333.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, India: Information on the Punjabi language newspapers published in Canada including the Ajit, published in Toronto and the Chardikak in British Colombia, both on their ownership, their activities and their ratings by any outside groups of journalists and human rights activists, 1 August 1995, IND21333.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ab208.html [accessed 30 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Bowdens Media Directory indicated in April 1995 that there were nine Punjabi language newspapers in Canada: the Asia Times (editor: Tarlochan S. Gill) published in Toronto; the Chardhi Kala (editor: Hardip Singh), the Indo Canadian Phulwari (editor: Gurjit Singh Sangra), and the Indo Canadian Times (editor: Tara S. Hayer) all published in Surrey; the Perdesi Panjab (editor: G.S. Chauhan) and Sangi Savera (editor: G. Barar) published in Malton; the Pragati (editor: G. Bhowmick) published in Montréal; and the Ranjeet (editor: Narinder Singh Jouhal) and The Sangharsh (editor: Sukkhdev Singh Dardi) published in Vancouver (24).
According to a January 1995 list of ethnic newspapers currently available at the National Library of Canada in Ottawa, there is a Punjabi newspaper named Hamdard published in Malton, Ontario.
In 1988, in a study on ethnic media in Canada entitled Anatomie de la Presse au Canada, Jean-Michel Lacroix identified eight Punjabi newspapers in Canada. In addition to the Asia Times, the Indo-Canadian Times, the Perdesi Panjab, the Phulwari, and the Ranjeet, the author listed the Canada Darpan (editor: Darshan Gill) published in Surrey, the Punjabi Patarka (editor: T.S. Hayer) published in Toronto, and the Western Sikh Samachar (editor: Puran Singh Gill) published in Vancouver (Lacroix 1988, 190, 193, 200, 202, 203, 205-207, 212).
For more information on some of the above-mentioned newspapers, please refer to the attachments from the Vancouver Sun and Maclean's.
Information on the Ajit and Chandikak newspapers published in Canada could not be found among the sources consulted by the DIRB. However, for information on the Daily Ajit published in Jalandhar, India, please refer to the following attachments: reports from the Associated Press (AP), India Abroad, Reuters, San Francisco Chronicle, as well as the April 1994 article in La Lettre des Reporters sans Frontières, excerpts from 1994 Report: Freedom of the Press Throughout the World, Attacks on the Press 1992 and The Europa World Year Book 1994. Information on the Jalandhar-based Daily Ajit can also be found in the attached extracts from two 1991 reports by the Punjab Human Rights Organisation (Regd.), Chander Shekhar's Multi-Pronged Offensive and The Fourth Estate as the Fifth Column.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find attached the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Bowdens Media Directory. Updated to April 1995. Toronto: Bowdens Information Services.
Lacroix, Jean-Michel. 1988. Anatomie de la presse au Canada. Bordeaux: Presses Universitaires de Bordeaux.
National Library of Canada, Ottawa. January 1995. "Canadian Ethnic Newspapers Currently Received in Hardcopy--Language Groups."
Attachments
Associated Press (AP). 16 March 1994. Eastern Time. "Punjab Government Bans Controversial Book." (NEXIS)
Bowdens Media Directory. Updated to April 1995. Toronto: Bowdens Information Services, p. 24.
Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). 1992. Attacks on the Press 1992. New York: Committee to Protect Journalists, pp. 144, 148-50.
Europa World Year Book 1994. 1994. Vol. 1. London: Europa Publications, p. 1446.
India Abroad [Toronto]. 28 April 1995. Ajit Jain. "Support for Khalistan Seems to Fade," p. 15.
Lacroix, Jean-Michel. 1988. Anatomie de la presse au Canada. Bordeaux: Presses Universitaires de Bordeaux, pp. 190, 193, 200, 202, 203, 205-207, 212.
La Lettre des Reporters sans frontières [Paris]. April 1994. Gil Gonzales Foerster and Imran Akbar. "Pendjab indien: faire taire La Voix d'Aujourd'hui," pp. 9-10.
Maclean's [Toronto]. 3 June 1991. Nora Underwood et al. "Echoes of a Murder; Canadians Mourn Gandhi's Death." (NEXIS)
National Library of Canada, Ottawa. January 1995. Canadian Ethnic Newspapers Currently Received in Hardcopy.
National Library of Canada, Ottawa. January 1995. Canadian Ethnic Newspapers Currently Received in Hardcopy--Language Groups.
Punjab Human Rights Organisation (Regd.) (PHRO). August 1991. The Fourth Estate as the Fifth Column. Ludhiana: PHRO, pp. 105-10.
_____. June 1991. Chander Shekhar's Multi-Pronged Offensive. Ludhiana: PHRO, pp. 22-23.
Reporters sans Frontières. 1994. 1994 Report: Freedom of the Press Throughout the World. London: John Libbey and Company, p. 164.
Reuters. 27 April 1991. BC Cycle. "Sikh Leader Says Security Force Killings Dash Peace Hopes." (NEXIS)
The San Francisco Chronicle. 9 November 1992. Final Edition. Cheryl Bentley. "Update; Battle for Sikh State Rages Out of Control in Punjab." (NEXIS)
The Vancouver Sun. 10 June 1995. Final Edition. Kim Bolan. "Surrey Man Linked to Sikh Separation." (NEXIS)
_____. 10 May 1995. Final Edition. Derek McNaughton. "Suzuki, Foster, Brown Honored for Good Works; Gardom to Pin Medal on Predecessor." (NEXIS)
_____. 10 August 1994. Final Edition. Kim Bolan. "Sikh Separatist Denied Accreditation to Commonwealth Games." (NEXIS)
_____. 10 July 1993. 1* Edition. Phinder Dulai. "Ignoring Racism: Newspapers Have Been Mysteriously Silent About India's Recent Sectarian Violence." (NEXIS)
_____. 28 August 1992. 1* Edition. Kim Bolan. "Paralysed Punjabi Publisher Honored for His Work Years After Shooting." (NEXIS)
Additional Sources Consulted
Oral sources.
