The Urdu newspaper Pratap – and its Hindi counterpart Vir Pratap – had a long and eventful history. Launched by Mahashay Krishan on 30 March 1919 and ably carried on by his son Virendra and later his grandson Chander, it was a torchbearer against the British Raj. It covered all the major events during India’s struggle for independence and after, until it wound up in 2017. At our Online Talk #PratapTheBrave, journalists Chander Mohan and Jyotsna Mohan, both descendents of the founder, chronicle the exciting lives of the newspapers, their founder and editors, as well as landmark events of Indian history, from Independence to the Emergency and Operation Blue Star.

About the speakers

Chander Mohan is a veteran journalist and columnist, and was the distinguished editor of the Hindi daily Vir Pratap for forty years. Born in Lahore in pre-Partition Punjab, he has been a leading voice in Hindi journalism in north India, writing searing and uncompromising editorials. He is privileged to have witnessed several eras of politics and media. Semi-retired, he pens ‘Maryadain,’ a weekly column for a national newspaper, while managing several educational institutions in his hometown, Jalandhar.

A journalist with nearly three decades of experience across TV, print and digital media, Jyotsna Mohan has always sought to hold up a mirror to society. Her journey led her to pen her debut book, Stoned, Shamed, Depressed, an Amazon bestseller that dives deep into the secret lives of India's teens and reveals challenges that resonate with young people globally. A columnist for publications in India and abroad, her writings reflect societal issues and challenge the status quo. She brings this outlook to her online talk show, ‘Table Talk with Jo.' Born in Jalandhar, Jyotsna now lives with her husband and two children in Abu Dhabi.