Associated Journals to turn not-for-profit

Will also restore two other sister newspapers

Associated Journals Limited (AJL), the publisher of the now-defunct National Herald and two sister newspapers, on Thursday decided to revive the three dailies. AJL shareholders, who attended an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) here on Thursday evening, considered and approved several resolutions to convert the company into a not-for-profit one. AJL, founded by Jawaharlal Nehru in November 1937, published multiple editions of its newspapers — National Herald, Navjivan (Hindi) and Qaumi Awaz (Urdu). However, the Lucknow editions were closed in 1999, while the Delhi editions were shut down in 2008.

FLIGHT OF THE PHOENIX

• Founded by: Jawaharlal Nehru
• Newspapers published: National Herald, Navjivan (Hindi) and Qaumi Awaz (Urdu)
• 1999: Lucknow editions were closed
• 2008: Delhi editions shut down

Briefing media persons, AJL chairman and managing director Motilal Vora said notices for the EGM had been duly sent out to all members of the company, while public announcements had also appeared in three Lucknow newspapers in December 2015.

He was flanked by Sam Pitroda. Senior Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad, Sheila Dikshit, Oscar Fernandes, Jitin Prasad and Sandeep Dikshit, among others, were also present. About 30 shareholders of the company were present at the meeting.

Vora said the resolutions were in “pursuance to the revival plan of the company since 2010, which includes conversion of the company to not-for-profit, and re-launching the newspapers.” He said the company would now consider the revival plan of the newspapers and the editions to be revived. “This decision of the EGM in essence formalises this larger purpose for which the company was founded in the first place,” he added. Fernandes told Business Standard on the sidelines that “the important thing was that the EGM fulfilled the quorum required for passing the resolution.” The members also considered changing the name of the company. The proposal is yet to be finalised and approved.

Since January 18, former employees of AJL here have been sitting on a relay hunger strike in support of their seven-point charter of demands, under the aegis of the Associated Journals Employees Union (AJEU).

Former AJEU general secretary Dileep Kumar Sinha had alleged AJL management was conspiring to siphon off company properties by proposing to change the name of the company at the EGM. They had also demanded revival of the dailies.

In 2012, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy had filed a case in a Delhi court alleging financial irregularities in National Herald. Congress president and vice president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi respectively are accused in the case. Last month, the Gandhis had appeared before the court, which granted them bail. Swamy claimed the AJL properties in India were to the tune of Rs 5,000 crore.