By Zaidul Haque, TwoCircles.net,
Kolkata: In a good move for Urdu speakers in West Bengal, the Mamata Banerjee Government has issued a circular to all state run/aided libraries to subscribe two Urdu newspapers along with Bengali dailies. The circular was issued by the Department of Mass Education, Extension and Library Services on March 14, 2012. There are 2,482 state run/ aided libraries in West Bengal.
The government has made a new list of 8 newspapers – 5 Bengali, 2 Urdu and 1 Hindi – for public libraries. The government funded libraries will have to subscribe from this list only.
Two Urdu dailies for libraries
This is first time that two Urdu papers have been enlisted in the list of 8 newspapers for libraries. Minister of the Department of Mass Education, Extension and Library Services Mr Abdul karim Chowdhury also won the last year’s assembly election from Urdu dominated Islampur of North Dinajpur District.
During the Left Front regime of 34 years, few libraries in Kolkata would subscribe Urdu daily ‘Abshar’, which is considered as the Urdu organ of West Bengal CPIM, besides Bengali organ of the party `Ganashakti’ daily. But outside Kolkata like in Asansole, Champdani, Titagarh, Islampur, Chopra, Karandighi public libraries did not subscribe Urdu newspaper. They would get important Bengali and English newspapers only. They were not given any circular by the State Government to buy any particular newspaper. It was at discretion of the librarians.
Putting check on the freedom of the librarians the Mamata government has made a list of eight newspapers for libraries. Now librarians cannot purchase other than these eight newspapers.
Now the Mamata government has decided that any newspaper published by political party will not be purchased by libraries. “In public interest, Government will not buy newspapers published or purported to be published by any political party either national or regional as a measure to develop free thinking among the readers,” reads the March 14 circular.
Some Editors of selected newspapers have been nominated for Rajya Sabha by Mamata?
But the selection of the newspapers and nomination of editors of some of these papers for Rajya Sabha by Mamata Banerjee deflates her tall claim of developing free thinking.
In the list of eight, there is no English newspaper or largest circulated Bengali newspaper. The list has two Urdu dailies — `Akhbar-E-Mashriq’ and `Azad Hind’. Five Bengali dailies are: `Sangbad Pratidin’, `Ekdin’, `Sakalbela’, Dainik Statesman’ and `Khabor365Din’. The only Hindi newspaper in the list is `Sanmarg’.
Most of the listed newspapers are considered close to Trinamul Congress. And this is evident from the recent nominations by the party for Rajya Sabha. Sanmarg Editor Vivek Gupta was recently nominated for Rajya Sabha from West Bengal by Trinamul Congress. Kunal Ghosh, another newly elected Rajya Sabha Member is the executive Editor of Sangbad Pratidin & Group CEO of Daily Sakalbela and Azad Hind. Editor of Sangbad Pratidin Srinjoy Basu was elected earlier as Rajya Sabha Member by Trinamul Congress. Executive Editor of Akhbar-E-Mashriq Nadimul Haque is newly nominated Rajya Sabha Member by Trinamul Congress.
Politicians, intellectuals oppose circular
Many political parties have criticized the Mamata government over the issue as it was raised in the ongoing state Assembly session by Asit Mitra, a Congress MLA. Mr Mitra said the government circular is undemocratic. He requested the chief minister to withdraw the circular as early as possible and give liberty to the librarian to purchase any newspaper according to the demand of the library visitors.
Ex Minister of CPIM Mr Anisur Rahman said in a Press conference at Press corner of State Assembly that after Independence there is no state in our country which has issued this kind of circular. Students, senior citizens and people from different sections of the society come to library. They should choose their newspaper. Liberty should be given to the librarian, he said.
In 34 years of Left Front ruling the state government did not issue such circular pressurizing to buy particular newspaper, Anisur Rahman said.
Novelist Sunil Ganguly, Story writer Suchitra Bhattacharya have also opposed the circular to purchasing particular newspaper.