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*Pioneer* unveils Ranchi edition *Joyee Bhattacharya/ Vijay Deo Jha | Ranchi* Paper with a passion, *The Pioneer*'s Jharkhand edition was launched at a colourful function at Ranchi Club here on Tuesday. A mammoth 44-page commemorative supplement was unveiled by Chief Minister Madhu Koda in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Stephen Marandi, Union Minister of State Subodh Kant Sahay, former Speaker Inder Singh Namdhari, Rajya Sabha member Devdas Apte, Chairman Swastik Group Hanuman Sarawgi, the promoters of the paper in Jharkhand and Dr Chandan Mitra, the Editor of the paper. * * The glittering function added by city elite, members of the bureaucracy and intelligentsia was brought alive by thought provoking lectures by the dignitaries with different political ideologies and backgrounds. Talking about *The Pioneer*, Koda said, "*Pioneer* has had the reputation of being a paper with total honesty. I expect the paper to work as a true reflector of our work so that the criticism we receive from it helps us become a better Government." Congratulating the people of the State and the Swastik group on bringing out *The Pioneer* in Jharkhand, Union Minister for Food Processing Subodh Kant Sahay said, "Coming of *The Pioneer* here is a feather in the cap of the State." The prestigious Swastik group in collaboration with Chandan Mitra has come forward to add a value addition in the field of serious journalism. The Chief Minister said, "It is a very special day for Jharkhand because the launch of this edition is a New Year gift for the people of this State. The media, he said, is both the opinion maker as well as the mouth piece of public opinion. Objectivity and impartiality should be the hallmark of any newspaper and *The Pioneer* would set a standard in this regard. Chandan Mitra hoped that the people would find this edition interesting as well as thought provoking. *The Pioneer* has a distinguished history and it's the only paper which has the distinguished association with two Nobel Prize laureates. *The Pioneer* has been in publication in different parts of the country and Jharkhand would be the eighth edition. He dwelt upon the issue of Jharkhand and its problems. He said Jharkhand was a rich State but its population was poor. Media, he said, has been playing a very crucial role and *The Pioneer* would be the spokesperson for the development of Jharkhand. Information is power and media is one of the channels to realise this power, he added. Senior editor of the paper Siddharth Mishra said, "We can claim the largest number of editions of any English newspaper in the entire country with the launch of our Jharkhand edition." He referred to an old saying prevalent in India during the British period, *Cheez wahi jo vilayat me bane aur khabar wahi jo Pioneer me chhape*. Chairman of the Swastik group Hanuman Sarawgi said that he was happy to be associated with this distinguished newspaper. He said, "I find myself very close to the philosophy of *The Pioneer* and its editor Chandan Mitra. This was the reason that compelled me to associate with this paper." He explained that starting a newspaper or to get associated with a newspaper was his passion and part of his social agenda. He quoted his association with the Jharkhand movement and said media could play a crucial role in the development of the State. He assured that his company would soon enter into electronic as well as Hindi print media. Subodh Kant Sahay said that *The Pioneer* would come true to its name and hoped that it would prove a feather in the cap of Jharkhand. *The Pioneer*, he said, has set a different objective. Rajya Sabha member Apte said it was a timely step to start *The Pioneer*from Jharkhand. He appreciated editor Chandan Mitra for preserving and sustaining the oldest newspaper of India that had rendered a yeoman service to the society. Inder Singh Namdhari while quoting the illustrious and fearless reporting of this newspaper said that even when the Press was gagged during the British regime, *The Pioneer* had a fearless reporting. Deputy Chief Minister Stephen Marandi said that owing to the history of *The Pioneer* and the Swastik group, he was confident that this newspaper would prove a platform for alternative journalism. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
