Ananda Bazaar Patrika

Seema Narendran, Ramnarain

Ruia College
• Anandabazar Patrika first appeared on March 13,
1922 — the day of Holi, as an evening daily,
printed in red ink.

• Founded in 1922 by Prafulla Chandra Sarkar

who was the editor as well

• It was a four-pager, priced at two paise and had

a first-day circulation of a thousand copies.

Seema Narendran, Ramnarain

Ruia College
• The newspaper’s red ink led to the contemporary

English daily, The Englishman terming it a ‘danger

signal’.

• Largest circulating Bengali daily in India

• Considered by many to be one of the most popular

regional newspaper in India

Seema Narendran, Ramnarain

Ruia College
• Today its concurrently published from Kolkata, New

Delhi, and Mumbai

• The newspaper brings out special festive

issues during Durga Puja

• Synonymous with the Bengali community

Seema Narendran, Ramnarain

Ruia College
 The origins

• A daily from 1891, Amrita Bazar Patrika by the beginning of the

20th century was recognized as a pillar of the national movement

• In 1922, generational change within the Ghosh family led to a

division

• A branch split off and started a Bengali daily Ananda Bazar

Patrika

Seema Narendran, Ramnarain

Ruia College
• The two newspapers became keen rivals

• With the common the struggle against the British, they intruded on

each other's circulation base

• After independence, Ananda Bazar Patrika adapted more

successfully to the need for management and advertising

• Under A K Sarkar (1912-83), in the 1960s, it became India's

largest circulating daily published from a single centre

Seema Narendran, Ramnarain

Ruia College
• With its unshakeable patriotic stance, it soon
became very popular.

• Unbiased views, constructive criticism,

indomitable courage and an uncompromising
attitude were just a few aspects, which went on
to make Anandabazar Patrika the ‘voice of
Bengal’.

Seema Narendran, Ramnarain

Ruia College
• Its popularity reached new heights when, in
1954, the Press Commission report declared
Anandabazar Patrika to be the largest circulated
newspaper in the country, published from one
location.

• Over the years, Anandabazar Patrika has

achieved many milestones along the way — it
was the first in the east and one of the first in the
country to use offset printing

Seema Narendran, Ramnarain

Ruia College
• Shook the foundation of the British power in India

• Helped to enhance the spirit of nationality among the

people fighting against the colonial power

• Gained immense popularity with the masses

• 1000 copies of the newspaper were sold on the very

first day of publication

Seema Narendran, Ramnarain

Ruia College
• Showed immense courage in stating the truth

and never compromised

• Always presented unbiased news

• Initially consisted of only four pages

Seema Narendran, Ramnarain

Ruia College
• Other than the Kolkata edition, it has introduced editions for

other metropolitans like Mumbai and Delhi

• It is the only Bengali daily to cross 1.2 million in circulation

• Published, along with Desh, the first large-scale readership

survey in 1963, nine years before the first National

Readership Survey (NRS) research was commissioned

Seema Narendran, Ramnarain

Ruia College
• Has seven district splits within West Bengal

• Also has city splits- Uttar Kolkata (North Calcutta), Dakshin

Kolkata (South Calcutta), Purbo Kolkata (Salt Lake) &

Howrah

• There is also an internet edition of Anandabazar Patrika and

anandautsav.com, the puja website.

Seema Narendran, Ramnarain

Ruia College
• In addition to its city split — Kolkata, it offers supplements
like Patrika on Saturdays, Rabibashoriyo on Sundays,
Prastuti on alternate Mondays and Kajer Bazar on
Tuesdays.

• Total readership: 72,95,000 (NRS 2006)

• Readership in Calcutta: 30,61,000 (NRS 2006)

Seema Narendran, Ramnarain

Ruia College
• The group, under Aveek Sarkar launched:

• The Telegraph- an English daily

• Sunday- an English weekly (now closed down)

• Sports World- Sports magazine

• Business Standard- Daily pink paper

Seema Narendran, Ramnarain

Ruia College
• 1922- Starts with four pages, becomes six soon after

• 1923- Anandabazar Patrika becomes a morning daily

• Ties up with Reuters, Associated Press and the Free Press of

India

• 1925- becomes a 16-page wonder

• First 120-page special supplement on Calcutta Congress -

sold out within two hours. Second edition printed on demand.

Seema Narendran, Ramnarain
Ruia College
• 1930- Faced with a draconian Press

Ordinance, goes out of circulation for a few

months

• 1931- Starts coming out everyday

• 1932- Circulation soars

Seema Narendran, Ramnarain

Ruia College
• 1941- Anandabazar Patrika was the first to

inform about Subhas Chandra Bose’s

dramatic escape

• No ads carried on the front page, the day after

Rabindranath Tagore’s demise

Seema Narendran, Ramnarain

Ruia College
• 1942- Dailies not printed to protest against

regulations imposed on newspapers and the lack

of newsprint

• 1948- Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination -

landmark coverage, Lord Mountbatten calls it the

“greatest homage to the Mahatma.”

Seema Narendran, Ramnarain
Ruia College
• 1960-Entertainment gets a fillip with the

Anandalok section introduced in ABP

• 1965- Colloquial Bengali in narrative prose

begins. Formal Bengali only in the editorials

now

Seema Narendran, Ramnarain

Ruia College
• 1983- The first colour printing — the features

section of ABP

• 1984- News comes to a standstill as ABP faces a

51-day strike

• 1992- Does not carry a single advertisement as a

mark of tribute to Satyajit Ray, who had died the

previous day Seema Narendran, Ramnarain

Ruia College
• 1993- The district pages of the ABP are

launched

• 2000- its internet edition is launched

• 2003- A new-look Anandabazar Patrika hits

the stands.

Seema Narendran, Ramnarain

Ruia College
• 2005- Reaches the one-million circulation

benchmark

• 2008- Anandabazar Patrika wins Silver for

being the best printed non-English daily at the

4th National Awards for Excellence in Printing

Seema Narendran, Ramnarain

Ruia College
• The only newspaper to send a journalist to
cover Amartya Sens Nobel Prize
investiture ceremony

Seema Narendran, Ramnarain

Ruia College