From 1999 to 2022 : TSE is now 23 :: The spirit continues
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: September 12, 2022 -

The Sangai Express is now 23 years old.

The time period that this newspaper has been in the service of greeting the readers first thing in the morning can be better understood by viewing it against the fact that a 30 year old lady today would have been just 7 years old when a handful of professionals worked late into the night of September 10, 1999 to ensure that the first edition of the newspaper hit the newsstand on the morning of September 11, 1999.

The spirit that brought together the small group of professionals on the night of September 10, 1999 continues to guide the paper though the profile of the professionals behind the scene has undergone some changes.

From 1999 to 2022 and as in any human centric organisation, where machines have not replaced the human work force, it is but natural that the team behind bringing out the day’s paper is starkly different from the team that worked late into the first night of this newspaper.

Some have passed away, including the veteran N Deben who passed away recently and so too former Editor of both the Manipuri and English edition of this newspaper Khelen Thokchom.

Others too have departed in between but all did leave their indelible mark on the identity that The Sangai Express has managed to carve out for itself and even as the newspaper observed its 23rd foundation day on September 11, 2022 quiet prayers in the heart and minds of everyone in the newspaper marked the day on the said date.

Faces have changed but this has not diluted the essence of working as a team for it has always been the firm belief and conviction of The Sangai Express that no newspaper can survive and progress riding on the shoulder of any single individual.

Team work continues to guide the working ethos of this newspaper and it is fortunate that the newspaper has been able to find and harness the potential of sincere and hard working reporters, Sub-Editors, district correspondents, the computer boys-those who are adept with its usage, the boys and girls in the advertisement section for they are the most visible face when one steps into the office of this newspaper, the machine operators, the boys at the distribution section who have to daily deal with the distributors or hawkers as they are known in the local parlance.

The world has also changed much in the last 23 years. When The Sangai Express first started, mobile telephone was something that one could get to read only in the publications from other parts of the country.

News and reports from the agencies used to come via the teleprinter that was installed in the office and this meant that the news that came out automatically typed on a paper had to be typed again by the computer boys.

Internet was again only something that one could get to read in the publications from other parts of the country.

Power supply then was a disappointment (it still is today, but things have improved after the pre-paid system came into being) and this meant being greeted by the muted sound of the huge private generator set up in the office to ensure that the computers can be operated upon and there is no disturbance to the news flow via the teleprinter.

These are but some of the technical points that may be of some interest to the keen readers and obviously there have been many other changes in society which may be commented on later.

Twenty three years and The Sangai Express take this opportunity to thank all the readers, patrons, well wishers and advertisers for having reposed their faith in this paper all these years.