August 6, 2013
Chief Minister attends the Centenary Celebration programme of Dainik Basumati
West Bengal Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday attended the centenary celebration programme of Dainik Basumati, a premier Bengali newspaper which is now a state government undertaking.
She said that the government will continue to support Basumati Corporation Ltd and will not allow the heritage organization to fade away,“The pressure on Saraswati Press is high so we are thinking of outsourcing some jobs like printing of `Paschimbanga` (the Bengali magazine published by the government) from Basumati Corporation.“
“The Basumati Sahitya Mandir, which published dailies and monthly magazine plays major role in reviving society. Many eminent Bengali litterateurs write in the publication. Bengal is proud of Basumati,“ said Ms Banerjee.
She also spoke of the glorious role played by the newspaper in mobilising public opinion during the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and the Salt Satyagraha.
She recollected that the erstwhile CPM-led government had wanted to shut down Basumati. “I was the Railways Minister then and went out of the way to try and take over this ailing organization. I wanted to use its printing press to print railway material. “
Ms Banerjee said that a national leader was the one who does not think about personal interest, “A national leader is also one who cares for all religions, castes and creeds“. She added that she disliked negativism and the attitude of giving up before trying, “I am a person with positive thinking. I do not like someone saying no before trying. “
After Trinamool Congress came to power, Basumati has received Rs 6.2 crore in government loans. The corporation says it made a turnover of `over Rs 5 crore` in 2011-12 through government work. These include printing government publicity materials, as well as the re-launch of Masik Basumati Sahitya Patrika, Basumati`s monthly literary magazine. Basumati is even thinking of re-launching its newspaper `Dainik Basumati` which had stopped publication in 2003.
Eminent authors Sanjib Chattopadhyay, Sirshendu Mukhopadhyay and Mani Shankar Mukherjee were present on the occasion. Five former employees and five present senior employees were felicitated by the Chief Minister.
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