Sainik Samachar
[1] The journal is published every fortnight in thirteen languages including English on behalf of the Ministry of Defence, Government of India.
The countries and places ranged from well-known France, Belgium, Egypt and Africa and to such obscure names as Assaye, Tel-El-Kebir and Tira.
Not unexpectedly, the pages of Fauji Akhbar used to be filled with news from Great Britain and other countries of the Empire like grant of annual rank by the King- Emperor and summary of court cases in London.
As the shadows of the Second World War gathered, European and American politics with an obvious bias towards the British policy began to predominate.
Pictorial supplements running to eight pages with emphasis on the Royalty and printed on art paper were carried, three to four times in a year.
A pictorial section, the antetype of “News in Pictures” on second (inside) cover these days, was introduced in 1928, featuring wonders like Forth Bridge in Scotland, horse-show in English country agricultural exhibition, British Airship, R-100 under construction, death and funeral of Field Marshal Earl Haig, who was given a reception at Buckingham Palace in 1922 etc.
Like Mrs. Bell’s column, there also used to be a regular serial, “Advice to Young Soldiers”, in which the troops were given tips to improve their career.
The Silver Jubilee Number on completion of 25 years was published from Simla on 4 May 1935, featuring on its silvery cover the King-Emperor George V and the Queen-Empress, with royal news and visuals on the inside pages.
Fauji Akhbar did not remain confined to being merely an ‘Army Newspaper’, but in mid-thirties carried a sub-title, ‘The Leading Journal of Rural Reconstruction’.
The Spanish situation with particular reference to France and the British Parliament’s sanction of 800 million for defence hit its first page.
However, notwithstanding such prompt and extensive war coverages, Fauji Akhbar retained its normal character of catering to the troops in peace and carried its usual features.
"The London Letter", a regular feature in the 1930s, included items of common British interest and as early as 8 April 1939 the news of BBC televising by its mobile unit a boxing event, was carried by Fauji Akhbar.
The Overseas Edition was a tabloid which Indian troops out of the country looked forward to and read avidly for war news in the home front.
Anthony Eden, the then British Foreign Secretary General Sir John Dill at Cairo, an Indian sepoy on the front line etc.
After the Independence, the publication was suspended temporarily but resumed operations in 1954[4] the magazine has undergone a sea change in its content and printing.
The Defence Minister A. K. Antony released a coffee table book titled 'Soldiering On...' 'Soldiering On...' is a compilation of history of the nation through the eyes of Sainik Samachar.
Printed in bold type with outer inter-spacing to facilitate reading in the light of the kerosene lamp by the troops in far-flung areas.
Overseas edition in Roman Urdu starts from Cairo for the benefit of Indian troops in the Middle East.
The office of Fauji Akhbar moves from Simla to Delhi as the heights of the Himalayas were not considered conducive to efficient round-the-year work and timely dispatch of copies.
Fauji Akhbar turns over a new leaf to serve the services in free India in a spirit of patriotism and nationalism.
1948 : Arrangements for printing with Mufid-i-Am Press, printers for the infant Fauji Akhbar, who had meanwhile shifted from Lahore to Delhi after Partition.
1954 : Fauji Akhbar is renamed as 'Sainik Samachar' for all its nine editions, namely English, Urdu, Roman-Hindi, Hindi, Punjabi, Gorkhali, Marathi, Tamil and Telugu.
