Chardikla group celebrated Media baron Jagjit Singh Dardi’s birthday
KI Singh/ royalpatiala.in/ Patiala
Chardikla group of publications, TIME TV , a News plus Entertainment based satellite channel of India, has got the millions viewer-ship in India and other Asian countries, celebrated its founder Chairman Jagjit Singh Dardi’s birthday by organizing a Gurmat Samagam and 5th Annual Journalist Conference.
Jagjit Singh Dardi’s great grandfather Bapu Budh Singh ji was a very close associate of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, his grandfather Bhai Sadhu Singh Ji, Hony. Magistrate of Kahuta (Pakistan) and father was the late freedom fighter Akali Dal leader, Giani Harnam Singh Ji. His mother Sardarni Harbans Kaur started 1st job oriented Educational School of Sewing & Embroidery, in 1954 in Patiala.
An engineer by Education and a Journalist by choice, he first started writing for Punjabi newspapers in the year, 1960, at the tender age of 12 years. Following which he did his engineering from the Thapar Institute, and worked with Escorts (now Federal-Mogul Goetze India) for 2 years (1969 and 1970).
In 1966, on the eve of 300th Birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh ji and in 1969 on the eve of 500th Birth anniversary of Shri Guru Nanak Dev ji, he published two commemorative volumes of “CHARHDIKALA”. In 1970 he started a fortnightly Charhdikala Marg, whose Founder Editor was his father G. Harnam singh Ji. This fortnightly paper, ultimately paved the way for the Charhdikala Group of newspapers in the year 1977, when this paper was converted into a Daily Newspaper. In 1974 he edited an Abhinandan Granth, on the life and works of Principal Satbir Singh, a renowned Sikh Historian. The ‘Charhdikala’ is continuously being published since then.
This illustrious, business exponent cum social activist, who strives for revival and transformation of Sikhism, is a much awarded and honoured man. In 1993, Jagjit SinghDardi accompanied the then Prime Minister P. V. Narshimha Rao, as a part of his press delegation to Dhaka SAARC summit and also visited Thailand with him. In 1996, he was the member of delegation that accompanied P.V. Narsimha Rao on his official visitto Malaysia. In 1995 as member of Prime Minister Delegation, he visited Argentina for the G 15 summit and also went to African countries. In 1998 he accompanied the Prime Minister to participate in the UN General Assembly in New York and to the French capital of Paris. In 1999, Dardi went to Lahore,Pakistan with the Prime Minster Atal Bihari Vajpayee. In 2000, at the invitation of President of USA, he accompanied the Prime Minister to New York and White House (Washington) and the US Parliament. In 2004, he participated in SAARC summit held at Islamabad with Prime Minister. He also had meeting with the president of Pakistan which was televised globally.
He is journalist accredited by the parliament of India. On June 17, 1998 the speaker of Lok Sabha nominated him as the member of Press Advisory Committee of Parliament.
