A word from the Editor
In spite of crests laden with invincible challenges and apodictic thorny path, The Kashmir Horizon has coursed its two (2) year journey, plenteous praises Almighty Allah for providing me the strength and courage to weather the challenges which were otherwise herculean to conquer. Though we started with a modest attempt, I feel it is a Himalayan attempt for The Kashmir Horizon to survive the challenges posed to journalism in the violence fraught place like Kashmir.Amid gags from power echelons for pen, propensity truth and audacity to unwrap that is happening under the carpet, a news paper has a pivotal role in territories reeling under a swath of a precarious situation like Kashmir and The Kashmir Horizon has coalesced all the affordable might to bring the public vent to the fore. I feel short of words to express my satisfaction for the little service, the news paper has rendered to the voiceless for their problems, grievances and the issues they wanted us to highlight. I don’t believe in the contemporary trends to organize grand functions to mark the anniversary of a newspaper birth. By organizing such events, the fourth estate undergoes an irreversible dent and people view the news paper as a part of political dispensation and bureaucratic mix.The greatest service for a news paper must be a voice to the voiceless and a quiver to those who muffle the voice of hapless. It is only possible by keeping a distance from those enjoying reigns of power, putting up any political mantle or in proximity with the bureaucratic power. The highest professional satisfaction for any Editor in the real sense is the impartial and rational approach of his news paper, but unfortunately all these imperatives have started evaporating, boiling down the profession to a naught. The spiraling trend of news papers to provide a quarter to every hiss of a politician,ignoring the poor society and the vital ingredients of its fabric have engendered a jaundiced view of reader towards the news paper.Today a lot of gulf and trust deficit exists between a reader and a news paper.In my modest attempt,I tried for last one year to represent those who are crushed,who were left unheeded,but it was only possible by clinging to ethos of journalism. The paramount pre-requisite in this regard is to keep a distance from those wielding power,as I have the firm faith in the adage that poor makes a man corrupt and absolute power corrupts him absolutely.Not the power mix, but people’s empowerment is our vision and motive.In the course of two year journey . The Kashmir Horizon stands at a critical juncture today, but determination and commitment matters beyond everything.I invoke Allah’s blessings for accomplishing the mission, which is no primrose but a bumpy, tedious path with thorns strewn all along. Above all we don’t have any boastful vent for what we did in our two year’s journey. It is difficult to prophesy at threshold before climbing the mountain which is steep and sapping, but who escape duck blind in journalism are the biggest achieves, not those who resort to pomp and show and are trapped much to the wilt of public.
