Column | Window Seat

Window Seat | Mrinal Chatterjee

The last Sunday of the Year

The last Sunday of the year has a different charm. The year 2017 has not been a good one. The economy refused to be energized. The Middle East continued to burn. Africa saw more bloodshed in the name of religion. President Trumph helped popularize the word fake news. Gujarat elections threw up a result that both the major parties claimed to be their victory. Pollution in Delhi forced children to stay indoors and pushed the sale of masks.

But go to the bazar, and you will see people merrily making their purchases, haggling over prices of vegetables even as the vendors insist that they are selling at rock bottom prices of the year. In the fish market, you’ll find people and vendors indulging in friendly banters. There is a palpable atmosphere of bonhomie.

That people have not lost their ability to enjoy life’s small moments despite everything- is the hope for humanity. Last Sunday of the year reinforces that belief.

Udaipur

I just returned from a wonderful trip to Udaipur, the ‘city of the lakes’ in the 'desert' state of Rajasthan with amazing company. I went as a resource person in a training programme on development journalism. There was great fun, great food and some real-time learning. But let me tell you about Udaipur, a city I’ll strongly recommend my readers to visit.

Founded in 1553 by Maharana Udai Singh, Udaipur was the capital of the kingdom of Mewar in the former Rajputana Agency. It remained as the capital city till 1818 when it became a British princely state and thereafter the Mewar province became a part of Rajasthan when India gained independence in 1947.

Udaipur is located in the southern part of Rajasthan, bordering Gujarat. It is surrounded by Aravali range,  which separates it from Thar desert. 

Udaipur is popularly known as City of Lakes because of its sophisticated lake system, which gives the city its unique distinction. Besides lakes, Udaipur is also popular for its massive historic forts and palaces, museums, galleries, natural locations and gardens, architectural temples, as well as traditional fairs and festivals.

Poi

About 40 km from Udaipur amidst hills and plateaus lies Poi gram panchayat. It is one of the first ODF (Open Defecation Free) GP of Rajasthan.

It was difficult to make it ODF because of several reasons- lack of the feeling that it was necessary, as the villages and household lie scattered, lack of water, and economic condition of most of the villagers were not good. However, the young BDO and not so young Panchayat Pradhan went on mission mode and tried every trick in the book and some out of the box idea to persuade people to construct toilet at home and use it. They focused on school children to trigger the mission. There were several obstacles and bottle necks. But at last they could do what many at the initial phase were thinking to be impossible. They made Poi ODF.

We went there, spoke to the villagers, and spoke to young school girls. We realized that when people are convinced and energized, change happens.

Found Yamraj

We also went to Silpagram, a beautifully designed place for artists and artisans, including a huge open air auditorium, couple of open air exhibition areas-  where a weeklong handicrafts fair was being organized. Artisans from about a dozen states were participating, selling there wares. A number of cultural programmes were also organized.

As we were moving around soaking in the atmosphere, looking at the beautiful handcrafted artefacts from different states, taking in the aroma of food from the nearby food stalls – I found them. Conspicuous in their familiar attire- Yamraj and Chitragupta were standing there greeting people, engaging in small talks.

Call it providence. English translation of my book Yamraj number 5003 is about to be published.

I requested the two actors donning the attire of Yamraj and Chitragupta for a photograph with me and they readily agreed. As they smiled at the camera with me standing between them, I was thinking would the real Yamraj and Chitragupta be as jovial and good natured as their avatars in Udaipur?

Rajasthani Googly

Bhagaban ko diyero sab hai

Daulat hai, Ijjat hai, Sohrat hai

Tato pani vi hai

Par..

Nahane ki ichha koni

(God has given me everything. I have wealth, respect, fame. I even have hot water. But … I don’t have the desire to take bath.)

***

The columnist, a journalist turned media academician lives in Dhenkanal, a Central Odisha town. He also writes fiction. English translation of his Odia novel ‘Yamraj Number 5003’  is being published shortly. 

Invitation for IGNITION 2018

Invitation for IGNITE FILM FESTIVAL "IGNITE 2018"

Lighthouse a premier production house of Odisha, is coming up with IGNITE Film Festival. With a noble intention to promote and encourage young filmmakers, storytellers and creative individuals, the festival also aims at creating awareness by highlighting various social, political and humanist issues through the showcased films. IGNITE is a theme based film festival which will be held every year with a particular theme. Although all the submitted film needs to incorporate the theme, it also invites participants to submit their own independent films for judging their true creative potential irrespective of imposed theme and restriction. The judgment and finalist selection will be made on the basis of both the submitted films of a participant.

IGNITE 2018 is dedicated to the daughters of our society with the theme “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” (Save girl child, Educate a girl child). The last date for the submission of the films is 25th January, 2018. All the entries of the films will be accepted through emails. All the winners will be rewarded with cash prize of Rs. 50,000 to 10,000. The prize giving ceremony will be held on the second week of February which will be communicated to the winner through email and phone call.

The participants are requested to submit their films or communicate or send their queries to our email id ignitefilmfestival@gmail.com.

For further details of the festival one can visit our official Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/igniteff

M.Phil and PhD for Media Students

Seminar at IIMC, Dhenkanal

Plenary Addresses at the Seminar at IIMC, Dhenkanal

Column | Pathe Prantare

Samaya Taranga, 17 Dec. 2017

Column | Jagate Thiba Jetedina

Samaja Saptahika 16-22 Dec. 2017

Seminar on Cinema at IIMC, Dhenkanal

Some of the Papers presented at the seminar will be published in 

The Communicator, journal of Indian Institute of Mass Communication.
Plenary Addresses by Dr. Piyush Roy, Dr. Mrinal Chatterjee, Surya Deo and Nadeem Khan

Column | Window Seat

Window Seat | Mrinal Chatterjee

Cloud-watching

Clouds take different forms. It is fascinating to see the sea of clouds from an air-plane. At times it looks like a sea of milk, at times it looks like tons of cotton spread till the horizon. At times it looks like white sheep playing on a field, whose colour has mysteriously changed from green to blue. Different layers accord it a weird and mystic look. Sunlight in different times of the day gives it a completely different look.

Whenever I travel by air, I insist on a window seat in airplanes only to gaze at the clouds.
Cloud-watching is one of the best pastimes for a lazy weekend, if the sky is clear. Just stretch out on the grass or on a chair on the terrace and let your imagination wander as you spot the faces and images in the clouds. Now you see a dog, now a lion. Suddenly that lion turns into a demon and in a minute it changes its shape into a ball of fire. You relive your childhood.

I learnt that our tendency to see faces or images in random objects is called 'pareidolia'. Renowned astrophysicist Carl Sagan theorized that this hard-wired tendency evolved as a way to quickly identify faces at a split-second (even in poor visibility), allowing us to identify them and judge their emotional state in the blink of an eye.

Forget theories, just look up and gaze at the clouds and discover faces and figures. Boy, it is fun.

Virushka

So they got married. Yes, I am talking about Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma.

They got married in a picturesque town in far off Italy. And our celebrity-obsessed media went crazy reporting the marriage. Even Gujarat election took a back seat.

In the next couple of days of the marriage we were almost forced to learn every small details of their marriage, except probably which contraceptive they were using. Everybody remotely associated with the marriage and his/her uncle and aunty were interviewed. The designer, who designed their dresses, the firm which organised their marriage- everyone had his/her fifteen minutes of fame. There were astrological predictions about, whether the marriage would work. There were reviews about their wedding attire, including the beard Virat was wearing. Media even came up with a word combining their names: Virushka.

Are we turning into a nation of celebrity-crazy people? Or, we are made one?

Gujarat Elections

As I am writing this, the exit poll in Gujarat has just predicted another victory of BJP, although by lesser margin and a victory in Himachal Pradesh. Congress, predictable is not happy about the predictions. It does not augur well for the newly elected President Rahul Gandhi.

Media pundits have started analysing how BJP has overcome the anti-incumbency factor in Gujarat and how it can impact the already plummeting future of Congress Party and particularly Rahul Gandhi’s political future. BJP cadre and leadership are in buoyant mood.

Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh results favouring BJP might have an impact on Odisha and West Bengal elections. In both these two Eastern states BJP has been trying to make an inroad for a long time now with limited success. A BJP victory in Gujarat and HP will leave Navin Pattnaik and Mamata Banerjee worried about their stock.

Technology Update 1

There is a device in market which converts your ‘thoughts’ into ‘speech’. It is called alcohol.

Technology Update 2

There is another device which converts your ‘speech’ into ‘silence’. It is called ‘wife’.

Tailpiece: Good News

Just heard the good news that if your Aadhar Card is not linked with your marriage certificate before 31^st December 2017 you will be considered single.

(Courtesy: Social Media)

***

Mrinal Chatterjee, a journalist-turned media academician lives in Central Odisha town of Dhenkanal. He also writes fiction. His novel Shakti has just been translated into Assamese.

This weekly column is published every Sunday in Sikkim Times and posted in www.orissadiary.com

Upcoming Event

For Details contact N A Shah Ansari 9437036471

Media Fellowship

मीडिया कंपनी में फेलोशिप 

अंग्रेजी अखबार ‘हिन्‍दुस्‍तान टाइम्‍स’, ‘Mint’ और ‘How India Lives’ ने कॉलेज स्‍नातकों और पत्रकारिता में कॅरियर बना रहे युवाओं के लिए छह महीने की फेलोशिप शुरू की है। छह महीने की डाटा जर्नलिज्‍म फेलोशप पेड होगी और एक जून 2018 से शुरू होकर 30 नवंबर 2018 तक चलेगी। इस फेलोशिप के तहत हर महीने 35000 रुपये दिए जाएंगे। फेलोशिप के तहत दिल्‍ली में चार महीने गुजारने होंगे। इनमें दो महीने ‘हिन्‍दुस्‍तान टाइम्‍स‘ की डाटा टीम और दो महीने ‘How India Lives’ की टीम के साथ काम करना होगा। बाकी दो महीने मुंबई में ‘मिंट’ की डाटा टीम के साथ काम करना होगा। इस दौरान फेलोशिप करने वाले रिसर्च करेंगे और इन दोनों अखबारों के लिए स्‍टोरी जुटाएंगे।

आवेदकों के लिए इस फील्‍ड में अनुभव होना अनिवार्य नहीं है। उन्‍हें पत्रकारिता, डाटा और डिजाइन के प्रति रुचि होनी चाहिए। इस फेलोशिप के लिए 28 फरवरी तक ऑनलाइन आवेदन किए जा सकते हैं। सफल आवेदकों की घोषणा 31 मार्च 2018 को की जाएगी। इस बारे में और अधिक जानकारी के लिए harry.stevens@hindustantimes.com पर संपर्क किया जा सकता है

Posted on 13.12.17

Media Job

Radio Drama Festival on AIR, Cuttack

Seminar

Film Appreciation Workshop

Filmi Chakkar at IIMC, Dhenkanal

Column | Window Seat

Window Seat | Mrinal Chatterjee

Road

Fifty seven years ago, on a chilly February morning I was born in Katwa, a sub-divisional town in Burdawan district in West Bengal. My father shifted base to Odisha to earn his livelihood and we settled there. We visit our ancestral place once in three four years. It is a nostalgic bond that we share with this historical town located on the bank of the Ganges. Katwa in Bengal is known for its danta, the fleshy stem of edible leaf (saag). It is a rual agri-business hub. Its claim to historical fame is: it was here that Shri Chaitanya found his guru Keshab Bharati.

Katwa could have been a beautiful town with great riverfront view. Instead it has turned into a shabby town with hardly any access to the riverfront. Slums and shanties abound on the encroached government lands on the river bank. Narrow roads are even made narrower by in numerous small temples.

Roads are like arteries to a state's economy. If the roads are clogged, economy is bound to suffer. The shop owners of Katwa, especially the vegetable vendors in the old market building have realised that, as it impacts their business by decreasing footfalls and increasing transport cost. But it seems successive governments of Bengal have overlooked/ ignored this simple fact.

Approach road to almost all railway stations in Bengal is so narrow and congested with roadside shanties and vendors and vehicles, that it is difficult to even walk. Encroachment of road and government land is so rampant, that at times you wonder is there any law and law enforcing mechanism in Bengal. All one needs to encroach a piece of roadside government land is a flag of the ruling party and/or an idol of any God.

Train

Compartments of Suburb Trains in Bengal are veritable Bazars. In numerous hawkers sell in numerous kinds of snacks and food items, stationaries, knick knacks, ayurvedic medicines, gamchha and sarees, children's books, calendars and many other items. 
Railways can actually think of branding these trains as 'Bazar on Train'.

There are several posters put inside local train compartments offering different services. From ‘easy’ abortions to 'guaranteed jobs' and 'job of a play- boy' (whatever that means).

Somebody can do a detailed study/ report on this. Who are the people offering these jobs? Who apply? To what effect?

Campaign and Reality

Talking about posters, interesting posters on cleanliness based on popular film dialogues have been put at Howrah station. 

However, in platform number 23, where these posters were put up, there were few waste bins and they were overflowing. The floor badly needed mopping. It only means one thing: awareness campaign should be accompanied by service delivery mechanism and infrastructure.

Fly Ash Brick

Local trains are good place to meet people and learn about different trade and business. I came across a young man, who is into brick manufacturing business. He owns one unit in West Bengal. It is an interesting business and probably one of the few surviving labour intensive enterprises. Mechanisation is taking way labour-intensive jobs. Even rice mills, which used to employ many labourers are cutting down as machines are taking over those tasks earlier done manually.

I asked him about the prospect of fly ash brick. He was not very enthusiastic and said, "it often breaks at the laying stage".

Can something be done about it? This could really solve the storage problem of fly ash.

Tailpiece: Gyan

'Jal khele Bal hobe, na khele durbal'. (Drinking water will make you strong. If you don't drink water you become weak).

Gyan by a packaged water vendor on a Bengal suburb train.

Tailpiece 2: Statistical Data

Different types of phone call duration:

Boy to Boy: 00:00:59

Boy to Mom: 00:00:50

Boy to Dad: 00:00:30

Boy to Girl: 01:23:59

Girl to Girl: 05:29:59

Girl to Boy: Missed Call

Husband to Wife: 00:00:038

Mom to Married Daughter: 10:50:59

Wife to Husband: 14 Missed Calls

(Courtesy: Social Media)

***

A journalist turned media academician Mrinal Chatterjee lives in Dhenkanal, a Central Odisha hilly town. He also writes fiction. mrinalchatterjee@ymail.com

This column is published every Sunday in Sikkim Times and posted in www.orissadiary.com

Seminar and Workshop on Cinema at IIMC, Dhenkanal

Seminar 14 Jan | Film Appreciation Workshop conducted by Dr. Piyush Roy 15-16 Jan | Screening Every evening.

Column | Pathe Prantare

Samaya Taranga 3.12.17

Lecture | Vanishing Humour from Life

PLEASE BE THERE, IF YOU ARE IN SAMBALPUR.

Column | Jagate Thiba Jetedina

Samaja Saptahika 18-24 Nov. 2017

Article | Challenges before Media in India in a Digital era

Challenges before the Media in India in the Digital Age

Dr. Mrinal Chatterjee

Professor and Regional Director,

Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC),

Eastern Regional Campus, Dhenkanal, Odisha

mrinalchatterjeeiimc@gmail.com

News-media in India have faced several challenges since its beginning in 1780 with the publication of the first newspaper Hicky’s Bengal Gazzete like State repression, poor investment, weak infrastructure, non-professional leadership and indifferent management, lack of trained manpower, poor business and revenue generation. However media survived the challenges and managed to grow- both horizontally and vertically. The growth accelerated in 1980s thanks mainly to the technological advancements and more so in 1990s thanks to liberalization, globalization and further technological advancement in information and communication technology ICT. Internet was introduced in India in mid 1990s and gradually digital era dawned. Initially it tremendously contributed to the growth of media. However, as the technology began to be accessible to almost everybody with the help of cheap and user friendly devices and everybody started using social media (the term was coined in 2004) new and unforeseen challenges began to raise its head before mainstream news media. So much so it is now seemingly threatening the right practice of Journalism and its very existence.

The challenges could be grouped under three heads:

1. Concept of News

2. Authenticity of News

3. Business of Newsmedia

Concept of News:

In earlier era journalists used to be the custodians of news. They used to define and mark what is news. What the readers ought to read and ought to see. They used to be the gatekeepers. In the digital era, with social media becoming the major platform to access news- that, gradually is changing. In absence of a gatekeeper, anything and everything is going by the name of news. Credibility and accountability- the two hallmark of journalism are being brushed aside. This in alignment with the post-truth mentality is posing a huge challenge to the old school journalism.

Authenticity of News:

With improved technology for creation and distribution of media content and social media providing easy platform at a global scale, anybody can create news or what appears like news. Fake news has become a big menace. As public opinion becomes more important to determine who rules the country and what should the policies be- the tools to impact public opinion also has become most sought after. This precisely is the reason for the proliferation of fake news. It is eroding the credibility of news and in a queer way public faith on journalists. There is a need to contain this menace. The challenges pertain to – who will do it, and how? Will the State do it? Will the companies providing large digital platforms like Facebook or Google do it? Should they be allowed to ‘dictate’ what is news? And how will it be done?

Business of Newsmedia:

Digital technology has made copying and distributing content easier. This has severely impacted the business of all media, which rely on monetising the content for its survival and growth. This has also raised serious questions on issues like copyright, source credibility and authenticity.

Every challenge is also an opportunity to explore new ways and possibilities. Newsmedia in India have had faced and survived numerous challenges. It will find ways to engage with and surmount the challenges posed by Digital technology and public scepticism, which I believe stems from over expectation from newsmedia. This, in a way is a good sign. Over expectation has in it an element of faith in media’s capacity and capabilities. The major challenge before newsmedia is to meet the public expectation.

***

 Sent for publication in PCI journal, 2017.

The Great Indian Editors | Harish Chandra Mukherjee

The Great Indian Editors 3 | Dr. Mrinal Chatterjee

Harish Chandra Mukherjee: Brief Life, Big Impact

Harish Chandra Mukherjee, remembered for being one of the first intellectuals to usher in liberal democratic ideas in British India and for being a fearless and crusading editor through the newspaper (Hindoo Patriot) he steered to glory died early, at the age of just 37. He left a legacy that was hard to match, and a paper, which had made a reputation of supporting social causes and fighting for the masses.

Harish Chandra Mukherjee was born on April 1824 at Bhowanipur in Kolkata. His ancestors belonged to Sridharpur in the Baradhaman District. His father Ramdhan Mukherjee had three wives and Harish was born to his third wife Rukhmini Devi. Ramdhan Mukherjee was a man of modest means. Harish Chandra studied as a ‘free student’ at Union school. Financial   problems forced him to give up his studies and sought out to earn his livelihood. Mukherjee got a clerical post in the office of Military Auditor General through competitive examination and started working there. Through his education was discontinued in early days, he learnt history, politics, law and English by himself.

He started writing columns in newspapers like the Hindu Intelligencer edited by Kasi Prasad Ghosh and the Bengal Recorder edited by Ramgopal Ghosh while he was serving the office of Military Auditor General. His writings were critical of the policies of the government. It attracted attention of the intelligentsia. 

In 1852, he became a member of the British Indian Association, one of the first political associations in British India and was active in social and political dialogues and discourses.

The Hindoo Patriot, a weekly in English language was first published on January 6, 1853 by Madhusudan Ray, under the editorship of Girish Chandra Ghosh. It began to be published every Thursday from Kalakar Street where Madhusudan Ray's press was located. Harish Chandra Mukherjee was involved with the paper from the beginning. Gradually his involvement became more intense and he began to take keen interest in the editorial matter. Around June 1855, he bought the newspaper from Girish Chandra Ghosh in the name of his elder brother Haran Chandra Mukherjee as he was still serving at the office of Military Auditor General he could not have bought it.

Harish Chandra however took charge of Hindoo Patriot in 1856-57 and soon through his remarkable journalism imbibed with a keen sense of national sentiment, not only made the paper the voice of the oppressed peasants but also made it as the first national newspaper of India.

The Hindoo Patriot under Harish Chandra played a vital role against the tyranny of the Indigo Planters, particularly during the post-Sepoy Mutiny period. In mid-19th century the British traders aided by the officers tried to increase the cultivation of Indigo. The farmers were forced to cultivate Indigo, even though it was not remunerative for them. The coercion reached to a barbaric level. When the farmers revolted and refused to grow indigo, a reign of terror was unleashed to suppress them forcibly.  Mukherjee through the Hindoo Patriot, wrote about this movement and thus played a key role in arousing public sentiments against the alien rulers. Regular editorials against such tyranny on the poor hapless indigo farmers attracted public attention and evoked universal condemnation from a large cross-section of educated Indians.

Other social issues highlighted by the Hindoo Patriot in its columns were Women’s Education and Hindu Widow Remarriage. As regards women’s education, the paper advised everybody to follow the lead given by John Drinkwater Bethune and on the question of widow remarriage it sided with the reformists and supported the cause of legalising such marriages. The paper, however, opposed the implementation of divorce laws in Hindu society.

Although the principal objective of the Hindoo Patriot was to focus anomalies in British Government in India, it pinned very high hopes on the liberalism of the British public and parliament. Thus, it always advised Indians to look for the redressal of their grievances to the British public and parliament whenever the British Indian administration failed to redress their complaints. Again, the focusing of multiple anomalies relative to British rule was never intended to tarnish the image of the British Indian government. Rather, criticism of anomalies was intended to make the administration aware of public grievances and their causes so as to enable the government to effect their speedy rectification. To the Hindoo Patriot, British rule in India was not blind folded imperialism but something highly noble to be supported for public welfare. Indians had still much to learn from the English and English rule was accordingly to be endured.

Thus, when during the Sepoy Revolt, the government imposed press restriction in India, by Act XV of 1857, and papers like the Hindu Intelligencer suspended publication in protest, the Hindoo Patriot made no particular grievance of it.

Many contemporary historians have lambasted Harish Chandra for being ‘soft to the alien rulers’. However, many hailed him as one of the first intellectuals to usher in liberal democratic thoughts in British India. In his paper titled Harish Chandra Mukherjee and the Hindu Patriot: the Diffusion of Liberal Democratic Ideas in Bengal in the Mid-nineteenth Century, (published in International Research Journal of Interdisciplinary & Multidisciplinary Studies (IRJIMS), Volume-III, Issue-V, June 2017, Page No. 314-320)  Abhishek Karmakar writes:

A staunch journalist as well as liberal modernist Harish Chandra bore almost all the indispensable features of modern liberal democracy such as, raising questions and criticizing freely against a despotic authority, arguing for the defense of equality and most of all acknowledging and ascribing most importance on public opinion in governance. He fearlessly raised questions against various arbitrary policies of Lord Dalhousie. Harish Chandra opposed Dalhousie‘s policy of annexation and confiscation of different provinces of India like Nagpur and Jhansi. Considering the policy as ‘foolish‘,  he attributed it as ‘the source of discontent in the country’, which prepared the ground for the Great Revolt of 1857.

The Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 provided him with a platform to raise the issue of being Indian and solving all our problems by ourselves. The political discourse during this time was not properly defined in Bengal, and hence through his writings in the Hindu Patriot he tried to inculcate a patriotic feeling.  He wrote “The time is nearly come when all Indian questions must be solved by Indians. The mutinies have made patent to the English public what must be the effects of politics in which the native is allowed no voice.

Besides ascribing most importance on the public opinion of the governed Harish Chandra, unlike contemporary newspapers, both the vernaculars and the English as well as contemporary political modernizers who even attributed the Queen‘s Proclamation (1858) as the Magna Carta of India magniloquently raised question, ‘where is the guarantee that the promises, though coming out of the Queen, will be honoured?’

Though Hindoo Patriot was an influential paper, but it did not do well financially. And as it was writing against the Indigo planters there were several litigations, which drained Mukherjee’s resources.

Harish Chandra died on June 16, 1861 at the age of 37. At the time of his death as material property he only had his house and Hindoo Patriot paper. Mukherjee’s widow was targeted with different court cases by the Indigo merchants. His house went on auction and Hindoo Patriot was almost on the verge of closure.

It was Kaliprasanna Singha who bought the paper and saved it from extinction. Kaliprasanna initially handed over managemnet of the magazine to Shambhu Chandra Mookerjee. Girish Chandra Ghosh who had severed all ties with Hindoo Patriot three years ago, was moved by the plight of Harish Chandra Mukherjee's bereaved mother and helpless widow and took up the editorship again. After he left Hindoo Patriot again in November that year, the paper was bought over by Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar. Kristodas (in Bengali the pronunciation is Krishnadas) Pal became its new editor, who edited the paper 23 years and took it to greater glory.

Harish Chandra Mukherjee was one of the first editors of British India, who brought in liberal democratic thoughts without bowing down to the authorities or towing the official line. He was one of the first editors who showed what a sensible pen and meaningful discourse can do.

Long after his death a large public park in Bhowanipur, Kolkata and a road has been named after Harish Chandra Mukherjee.

***

Edited version of this article has been published in Vidura Oct-Dec. 2017 issue.

 This series  is being published in Vidura.