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IThe evolution
of civilizations has been measured by the progress made in the field
of literacy and the engravings left behind to denote the same. These
have formed the records of history which were painstakingly logged
on stone, wood and later by calligraphy. With the invention of the
first printing machine by Johannes Gutenberg in the fifteenth century
the art of communication underwent a sea-change and its technical
progress continues to this day with mind-boggling transformations.
India too has seen radical progress in this field post independence.
In this march to technical perfection the birth of Delhi Printers'
Association is of special significance and has played a major role
eversince.
Its Birth and Constitution:
After partition Delhi became the hub of migrant printers from Lahore
and its environs. There was an urgent need to give collective voice
to their problems. With this goal in mind, a meeting was held by
Rai Saheb Ram Jawaya Mal Kapur of M/s Uttar Chand Kapur & Sons
at his residence. Lala Amar Nath of Delhi Press, and Shri Jayanti
Prasad of Model Press requested Professor Vedavrata of New India
Press to organise such an association. Twelve leading printers of
Delhi held a meeting in 1954 in a 'Dharamshala' in Ballimaran where
Brij Lal Baluja was made the first President and Professor Vedavrata
the Honorary General Secretary, and Delhi Printers' Association
was formed. It is interesting to note that at this meeting tea was
served in kullars and a samosa and burfi was given as refreshments.
Officially the Association was registered on 30th July, 1959 under
the Societies Act and has since functioned from its present office
at 26, Shankar Market. This office was initially allotted by the
government on rental and later converted into ownership for a meagre
amount of Rs.16,000. Its presidents and the executive team are elected
annually and all presidents work diligently to solve the problems
of big and small printers and offer a cohesive front of the printers
lobby. Its membership now stands at over 1200 a hundred times from
its first twelve.
Major technical events
Soon after its inception, Shri Vishwanathan, the General Secretary
of the All India Federation of Master Printers invited the association
to attend its meeting in Allahabad. At the meeting the DPA was requested
to host a printers conference in Delhi. And thus began a series
of conferences, seminars, exhibitions and print award functions
successfully hosted by DPA till date.
Pioneer exhibition & conference in 1957
The very first conference and exhibition held in 1957 was organised
as a challenge well met, for the association then had no money,
no bank account and not even a peon. The Conference and the Exhibition
were held at the exhibition grounds (now Pragati Maidan). There
was no modern infrastructure there and sheds and roads etc. had
to be made. Mr. Ashwini Kumar, an experienced hand in exhibition
business, was engaged as the Executive Secretary to run the office
and look after the liaison work. With indefatigable efforts of Prof.
Vedavrata and Pandit Laxmi Narain and their team the project proved
to be a wonderful success beyond expectations and imagination of
everybody.
Sardar Swaran Singh, the Union Industry Minister, inaugurated the
event. Printers from all parts of the country participated in an
atmosphere of fraternal bonhomie. The Exhibition of printing machinery
and allied equipment came out to be on an unprecedented scale, in
which not only indigenous manufacturers but foreign manufacturers
also put their hardware on display. Almost all Central Ministers
and many State Ministers including the Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal
Nehru and several VIPs visited the Exhibition. Panditji was so impressed
and pleased that he instantly accepted DPA's two requests: exemption
of Rs.10,000 paid in advance and the remaining rental for the exhibition
ground. Despite the restrictions on the sale of the imported machines
and other equipments, those displayed in the exhibition could be
sold to genuine customers in rupee account on the certification
of the Association. It was not only a great relief to foreign exhibitors
and Indian buyers but also enhanced the prestige and standing of
the Delhi Printers' Association.
The exhibition proved to be a profitable venture for the association
generating the much needed funds. It laid a financially sound foundation
for the association to function and grow. Till date, Delhi Printers'
Association is at the top of the constituent affiliates of All India
Federation of Master Printers vis à vis revenue and numerical
strength.
The financial resilience of the association is borne out by another
major incident. The crash of Palai Central Bank in 1960 wiped out
the entire funds of the association and it had to start from scratch
with donations from leading printers of Delhi. The printing fraternity
of Delhi has always risen to the occasion and met every challenge
head on with generosity, acumen and super human efforts.
The other major events which DPA has whole heartedly supported and
hosted for All India Federation of Master Printers are an Exhibition
in 1968 to commemorate Johannes Gutenberg's 500th death anniversary,
PAMEX - 83, 5th World Print Congress in 1993 and SAPC in 1996.
500th Anniversary of Johannes Gutenberg
To commemorate the life and works of Gutenberg an exhibition was
inaugurated by Mr. K.K. Shah, Union Minister of Information &
Broadcasting on December 18, 1968. Its unique feature was the support
it received from His Excellency Baron Von Mirbach, the then Ambassador
of the Federal Republic of Germany and his staff who took special
pains in making the function and exhibition a great success. An
agreement was signed between the governments of the Federal Republic
of Germany and India for the setting up of three school-book printing
establishments at Mysore, Chandigarh and Bhubaneshwar.
PAMEX - 83
The 21st Printers Conference & Pamex - 83 in 1982-83, organised
by the Delhi Printers' Association and sponsored by the AIFMP was
inaugurated by the Vice-President of India in the Convention Hall
of Ashoka Hotel and was attended by 1256 delegates from India and
abroad. The Exhibition was inaugurated by the Union Industry Minister,
Mr. N.D. Tiwari in Pragati Maidan.
Called "The Best Show Between Tokyo and Milan" Pamex -
83 was the culmination of the efforts of Sh V.N. Chhabra, Shri S.N.
Mehta and their teams. The exhibition and conference turned out
to be landmark in Indian printing history, heralding a new era of
not only technology, but importantly, of new ideas and information
as well. Awareness, knowledge and discussions are concomitants to
introducing new technology, and above all else, it was the event's
spectacular communications effort that earned it abundant laurels.
It was a success from everybody's point of view - organisers, exhibitors,
visitors and delegates.
5th World Print Congress 1993
The 5th World Print Congress held from 28th February to 4th March
1993 brought together top printing executives from all over the
world to discuss and exchange information and ideas on the latest
technologies and processes.
For the first time in Indian Printing History, an International
event of such scale was organised where there was a huge delegation
from Japan, Australia and even as far away as Rio De Janeiro. Mr.
V.N. Chhabra, Mr K.L. Shroff, Mr. S.N. Mehta, Mr. Makhija, Mr. V.K.
Malik, Mr. Satish Malhotra, Mr. S.N. Tara and other members of DPA
burnt the midnight oil for weeks organising the minutest details
for its smooth functioning. Mrs Rami Chhabra with the help of wives
of other members organised the sight seeing and even hosted a lunch
for the wives of the delegates. All the visitors carried back fond
memories and perhaps for the first time, India's Printing Industry
made an impact on an international level.
The WPC was inaugurated by the then Vice-President of India Shri
K.R. Narayanan and the keynote address delivered by Dr. Karan Singh.
The theme "Print Communication - A Global Vision" was
aptly illustrated and to coincide with this event, was held on Exhibition
of Print Material showcasing entries from all over the world. The
best entries were also awarded. Both events were hugely popular
and financially successful.
South Asia Print Congress 1996
South Asia Print Congress with the theme "Print Vision 2001
- Challenges and Changes" was held at The Oberoi, New Delhi
from January 13 to 15. The objective of learning and benefiting
through regional cooperation was fulfilled by representatives of
printing associations from various South Asian countries, who while
apprising delegates of their experiences of the impact of new technologies
and ideas, also demonstrated how to bridge the gap between old and
new.
"It is predicted that by 2010, over half of the world's total
productivity will originate from Asian Countries. It is therefore
vital that printers in South Asia prepare themselves to face the
challenges", thus spoke Mr V.N. Chhabra the Chairperson of
South Asia Print Congress. He along with Mr. V.K. Malik, the Organising
Secretary and other colleagues planned the technical seminars, exhibition
and Awards ceremony. Presidents of Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka
Printers' Association were overwhelmed by the hospitality shown.
To promote SAPC in the neighbouring SAARC countries DPA members
went personally to Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal. The largest
contingent was brought by Shri Subhash Chander from Bangladesh.
The 1st SAPC remains unparalleled in terms of technological content
and magnificence.
An exhibition on 'Excellence in Printing' was the high point of
the event. The entries for the exhibition under a number of categories
such as books, journals and periodicals, posters, calendars and
other publicity materials selected by a committee of experts were
on display during the Congress. Mementos were presented by Kumari
Selja, Minister of State for Education and Culture, during the valedictory
function.
The Congress - a milestone - concluded its deliberations with a
declaration that the South Asia Print Congress would be held every
two years by rotation in the SAARC countries. From all accounts,
the South Asia Print Congress was a great success.
DPA has never shied away from playing an active role even in the
day-to-day affairs of the AIFMP. Being the largest affiliate of
this apex body DPA has shouldered responsibility of holding atleast
one meeting per year on an average. All these meetings have been
grand affairs, meticulously organised, well attended and appreciated.
Some of its landmark meetings outside Delhi have been at Nainital,
Srinagar, Agra and Manesar. Many of its eminent members have been
President of AIFMP and the meetings organised by DPA during their
tenures bear special significances.
The earliest conference on record is of the 4th session held on
20th December 1959. It was held in the courtyard of DPA under a
shamiana. Nine important resolutions were passed and adopted on
various matters relating to the industry. These issues were of great
importance and were stunting the development of the printing trade.
Removal of presses from their present locations was a hotly debated
issue even then. Exemption from peak-load restrictions, import of
printing machinery and meeting the paper crisis were some of the
other resolutions adopted.
To create awareness among printers of Delhi and popularise the Association,
local conferences were organised every year. To start with printer
leaders of All-India fame like M/s Ramu, Ardeshir, G.U. Mehta of
Bombay, Mr. Venkateswaran of Madras, Mr. Hangal of Pune and Mr.B.C.
Ray (Saraswati Press) of Calcutta were invited to preside over these
conferences and local dignitaries like Dr. Yudhvir Singh and Mr.
Gopi Nath Aman, the then Executive Councillors to inaugurate them.
It enhanced the clout and standing of the Association not only among
the printers of Delhi but also in the official and non-official,
trade and industrial circles all over the country.
The 29th All India Printers' Conference was a roaring success and
testimony to the organisational capability of DPA. This was a landmark
conference for many reasons. It was for the first time that the
conference was supported by Indian Newspaper Society and Indian
Printing, Packaging and Allied Machinery Manufacturers Association.
This was largely due to the efforts of Mr. V.K. Malik, an active
member of the DPA who was then the President of AIFMP, Mr. Vijay
K. Chopra, President INS and Mr. Sanat M. Shah, President IPAMA.
The conference, inaugurated by the former Prime Minister, Mr. I.K.
Gujral, attracted 419 delegates from India and abroad and covered
the latest print technology addressed by speakers from all parts
of the world.
DPA activities
The DPA holds monthly meetings of its own for the executive body
where all policy matters are discussed and mutually acceptable solutions
arrived at.
Another feather in the cap of the association was the organising
of a Competition for Excellence in Printing in 1993, where a panel
of eminent judges selected entries from small, medium and large
printers for first, second and third prizes in various categories.
The excellence in Printing Awards Function was held at Kanishka
Hotel on Nov. 20, 1993 where the former President of India, Giani
Zail Singh, gave away the prizes.
Service to Its Members
To safeguard the interest of its members and their workforce has
been the foremost goal of DPA. Time and again DPA has led demonstrations
and sent its delegations to protest any hardships imposed on the
printers. In 1982, Shri S. N. Mehta led a Protest March against
unjustified and exorbitant paper price hikes by the paper mills.
The association has assisted various printers in the relocation
of industries and helped them in whatever way they could in interacting
at government level. Special mention must be made here of the efforts
of Shri Vijay Mohan in pursuing the problem of displaced printers.
When the Sales Tax on Works Contract was first introduced by the
Delhi Government, there was confusion all around as to its application
and implication. DPA consulted various tax lawyers and held a seminar
at the Lalit Kala Academy auditorium to clear the cobwebs from everybody's
minds. It helped in better understanding of the enforcement of the
new tax.
In 1981, DPA floated a co-operative Housing Society and DDA alloted
7.29 acres of land in 1993 where more than 400 families are now
living in this Printers' Society in Rohini.
In the late 70's Mr S.S. Batra with the help of Past Presidents
was able to buy a plot of 500 yds in Naraina Phase II. Together
with funds generated from Printers, Print Suppliers and profits
of Pamex - 83 was brought and built a capacious Printers' Bhavan
in Naraina Phase II. This was primarily used as a Training Centre
and Technical Library from 1988 onwards. More than 1400 students
were trained in DTP, laser printing, scanning, screen printing etc.
Currently the courses are being revamped to suit the changing technology.
The Mother of all fellowship events is undoubtedly "Holi Milan"
organised by DPA year after year. Supported by print suppliers and
sponsored by leading paper manufacturers this annual event is looked
forward to by all printers and their families. In the true spirit
of bonhomie and comraderie, Holi is played symbolically with a Tilak
followed by multi faceted cultural programme. Everbody participates
whole heartedly enjoying the music and dance, sometimes joining
in the fun too. There are a number of lucky dip prizes and to cap
the evening a sumptuous dinner.
Publications
What DPA does and achieves would not be known but for its mouth
piece DELHI PRINTER Starting as a mere News Bulletin, almost from
the time of formation of DPA, it has done yeoman's service in putting
forth the problems and views of printers to the concerned government
departments. One cannot talk about Delhi Printer without reference
to Delhi Press where it has been printed from its inception to 2003.
Its growth from a news-bulletin to an excellently produced journal
is proof of the painstaking efforts of Shri Naresh Nath. He is single
handedly responsible for the prestige it enjoys among print journals
and DPA is indebted to him for years of his honorary services.
The magazine gives timely information to printers on changing Sales
Tax, Provident Fund and ESI Rules apart from educating them on the
latest technologies.
Periodically, the association brings out a detailed Directory of
its members. It gives useful data and help buyers and suppliers
to contact the printing presses apart from facilitating interaction
among fellow printers. With the ever changing phone numbers, it
a most useful and handy publication.
Website
In keeping with current trends, DPA is also launching its website
on the day of its Golden Jubilee Celebrations. Soon the members
will have the facility of accessing Delhi Printer's latest issues
on the net and the E-Savvy can get the updated information of the
activities of DPA at the click of a button at www.delhiprinter.org.
Other Activities
The year 2003 is marked by a new direction to the activities of
DPA. 24th February the birthday of Johannes Gutenberg, the father
of Printing Industry has been declared Printers' Day. For a long
time, the need was felt to undertake some humanitarian and philanthropic
work. This was the opportune moment for DPA to fulfill its moral
obligations to society, for the haves to share their surplus with
have-nots. On this day, the DPA organises free health camps, blood
donation camps and langar for the workers and their families. Educational
tours to big printing units are organised for the students.
The activities of 50 years cannot be clubbed into a few pages. The
sweat and toil of pioneer printers and the growth of DPA is itself
a mammoth feat. As you go through old issues of "Delhi Printer"
and talk to the stalwarts, history seems to unfold itself. Every
occasion, every event had its moments and anecdotes - the struggle
and the triumph of the spirit. It is a fraction of that indefatigable
spirit of DPA which we have tried to capture in these last pages
and acquaint you with the growth of an organisation from scratch
to its present stature. The prosperity and technological excellence
of the individual printer is amply reflected in the collective body.
And now as the association celebrates its Golden Jubilee, it is
time to reflect on the achievements and pitfalls as also to set
new goals. Unlike its leaders, the association is timeless and the
show goes on.
Other
Articles:
Delhi
Printers Association - in retrospect
Stora Enso
- looking to the future
Book Publishing
in India Today
Digital
- The New Business of Printing
A Strong
Friendship - A Promising Future
CtP Revolution
in India
Book Binding
Techniques
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