Anandabazar Patrika was first published as a four-page evening daily in 1922 against British rule. One of the oldest newspapers in India, the daily is now a part of the Anandabazar Patrika (ABP) Group. The daily played a prominent role in shaping thoughts and opinions of Bengali readers during the freedom movement. It continues to do so, while expanding its scope well beyond the Bengali audience.
Between 1922 and 1947, the editor, publisher, and printer of Anandabazar Patrika were jailed by the British several times for their nationalistic views. In 1936, Anandabazar Patrika became the first and only Indian newspaper to cover the Berlin Olympics by sending its own reporter to the venue. Reportedly, the daily’s coverage of Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination in 1948 elicited praise from Lord Mountbatten as the ‘greatest homage to the Mahatma’.
The ABP Group has in its fold English daily The Telegraph, magazines Anandamela, Sananda, Anandlok, Desh and Boier Desh. The group (under ABP News) has several news channels today, besides a play in general entertainment and a book publishing business. What started as a joint venture with STAR (MCCS), is today a full fledged television business under the name ABP Network, in multiple languages.
But let’s go back to print where it all began. As the nation marked 75 years of independence, Anandabazar Patrika reproduced its cover when it announced India’s freedom.
To commemorate its centenary, the ABP Group launched a campaign themed ‘Curiosity questions answers’ earlier this year, along with a special logo.
The Anandabazaar Patrika Group started with regional and has managed to go national, being one of the few news brands one can think of to have accomplished that feat. But it isn’t done yet. The journey continues, rejuvenated.
