Chardikala

About Chardikala

Chardikala (also written Charhdikala or Chardikla) is a Punjabi-language daily newspaper published from Patiala, Punjab. The paper's roots go back to 1970, when it began as the fortnightly Charhdikala Marg, and it converted into a daily newspaper in 1977. Its Editor-in-Chief is Jagjit Singh Dardi, a prominent Punjabi media figure who was conferred the Padma Shri in 2022. Published from Patiala with a Delhi edition also in circulation, the daily covers Punjab, Haryana and national news in Punjabi, and its e-paper is freely available online. The Chardikala group has since expanded into television with the Punjabi news channel Chardikla Time TV and into education with the Sri Guru Harkrishan Group of Institutes.

Origins as a Fortnightly in 1970

Chardikala began in 1970 as a fortnightly titled Charhdikala Marg, whose founder editor was Harnam Singh, the father of the present editor-in-chief Jagjit Singh Dardi. The fortnightly built a readership through its coverage of Punjab affairs and Sikh community issues during a decade of intense political ferment in the state. In 1977, the publication was converted into a daily newspaper under the masthead Chardikala, a word drawn from the Sikh concept of chardi kala — the spirit of eternal optimism and rising morale. The daily retained the advocacy-oriented character of its fortnightly predecessor while expanding into full daily coverage of state, national and international news.

Jagjit Singh Dardi and the Paper's Leadership

Jagjit Singh Dardi, born on 19 January 1949, is the Editor-in-Chief of the Punjabi daily Chardikala and the chairman of the Chardikala group. A journalist and educationist from Punjab, Dardi took charge of the paper his father had founded and built it into a daily with a statewide presence. In 2022, the Government of India conferred the Padma Shri, the country's third-highest civilian honour, on Dardi for his services in national integration, communal harmony, and his contributions in the fields of media and education and the promotion of Punjabi language, culture and heritage. The award citation recognised him as a veteran Punjabi media leader and educationist and chairman of the Chardikala group. His other honours include the Shiromani Patarkar Award conferred by the President of India in 1998 and the Shiromani Sahitkar Award by the Government of Punjab in 1992. He has also served as a member of the Press Council of India since 2001 and on the executive committee of the Indian Newspaper Society since 1988.

Editions and Publication Centres

The daily's principal edition is published from Patiala, the historic royal city of Punjab that serves as the paper's headquarters. A Delhi edition of Charhdikala is also published, serving Punjabi readers in the national capital region. The paper's pages carry Punjab news, Haryana and Chandigarh coverage, national and international news, and dedicated space for Sikh religious and community affairs. Its print editions are complemented by a digital e-paper on the Readwhere platform, where the Patiala and Delhi editions are published daily and are free to read, extending the paper's reach to Punjabi readers outside its print distribution area, including the diaspora.

Editorial Character and Coverage

Chardikala's editorial identity is closely tied to Punjab and to Sikh community life. Its pages carry extensive coverage of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, Punjab politics, agrarian issues, education and the Punjabi language, alongside regular reporting on crime, civic affairs, business, sports and entertainment. The paper's opinion pages feature editorials and columns on state and national affairs, and its news coverage gives prominence to community events, religious observances and cultural programmes. The paper has been used for statutory public notices, including SEBI-mandated newspaper advertisements published by listed companies, which attests to its recognised standing as a daily newspaper of record in Punjab.

The Chardikla Time TV Expansion

Under Jagjit Singh Dardi's chairmanship, the group expanded into broadcast media with Chardikla Time TV, a Punjabi news channel. Dardi serves as chairman of the channel, a position that has further established him as a prominent media figure in Punjab. The channel carries Punjabi news bulletins, current-affairs programming and community coverage, complementing the print daily's journalism with a television presence. The group's digital and social-media arms, including YouTube channels and Facebook pages associated with the Chardikla brand, distribute video news content to Punjabi audiences online.

Education Ventures: Sri Guru Harkrishan Group of Institutes

Beyond journalism, Dardi is the chairman of the Sri Guru Harkrishan Group of Institutes, a chain of higher education institutions in Punjab. The group's involvement in education reflects the paper's long-standing emphasis on educational and cultural development in its editorial pages. Dardi's profile as an educationist, alongside his journalism career, was cited among the reasons for his Padma Shri recognition, and his biography has been published by the Punjabi media house Nirpakh Post, underlining his standing in the state's public life.

Padma Shri and Public Recognition

The conferment of the Padma Shri on Jagjit Singh Dardi in 2022 marked a high point in the paper's public profile. The Government of India's citation honoured his distinguished service in trade and industry, recognising him specifically as a veteran Punjabi media leader and educationist and chairman of the Chardikala group, and noted his contributions to national integration and communal harmony. The award drew attention to the paper's five-decade journey from a small fortnightly to a daily newspaper group with interests in print, television and education. Dardi has also been honoured by World Punjabi Conferences in the United States in 1997 and in Canada in 1989, and has served on press and media advisory committees of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.

Digital Presence and E-Paper

Chardikala's e-paper is published daily on third-party e-paper platforms, with the Patiala and Delhi editions available free of charge to readers. The paper's official website, chardikala.com, serves as its digital home, carrying news updates alongside links to the e-paper. The group's social-media presence, including its YouTube channel, extends its journalism to video audiences. The free availability of the e-paper has made the daily accessible to Punjabi readers across India and in the diaspora, who can read the same edition published in Patiala on the day of publication.

Position in Punjab's Punjabi Press

Punjab's Punjabi newspaper market is dominated by large dailies such as Ajit and Jagbani, and Chardikala occupies a distinctive position among them as a Patiala-based daily with a strong community identity and a media group behind it. Its combination of print, television and education interests is unusual among regional Punjabi publishers, and its editor-in-chief's national recognition through the Padma Shri has given the group a profile beyond its circulation area. For its readers, the paper remains a daily chronicle of Punjab's public life with a particular emphasis on Sikh community affairs.

Public Notices and Recognised Standing

Chardikala's standing as an established daily is reflected in its use for statutory and legal public notices. Listed companies have published SEBI-mandated newspaper advertisements, including board-meeting notices, in the Daily Charhdikala, Patiala edition, and courts in Punjab have directed the publication of legal proclamations in the daily. Such use is significant because regulatory and judicial notices are required to appear in newspapers with genuine circulation and recognised standing. The paper's e-paper listings show thousands of published issues, with the Patiala edition appearing daily on the Readwhere platform, and the Delhi edition likewise published each day, giving the daily a continuous and verifiable publication record stretching back decades.

Access and Official Website

Chardikala is available at newsstands in Punjab and the national capital region, and its e-paper can be read free online each day. Readers can follow the paper's news and access its editions through its official website at chardikala.com. The site serves as the digital gateway to the daily's reporting on Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and national affairs, alongside the group's television and social-media offerings.