News Headline
Elections 2014 through the eyes of Bengali TV channels
KOLKATA: Most television channels in West Bengal have started election coverage about a month ago and with the state going to polls from Thursday, it will only intensify in the coming weeks.
With elections in five phases between 17 April and 12 May, both news and infotainment channels are pulling out all stops to ramp up their reportage of poll-related news and analyses.
Not only 24×7 Bengali news channels such as ABP Ananda, 24 Ghanta, ETV News Bangla, Focus TV, Kolkata TV and Tara Newz but also infotainment channels like Aakash Bangla that has three news slots, are beginning to resemble a battlefield before the onset of war.
Even networks that were hitherto fighting shy of election coverage are now taking to it like a fish to water, with crowd shots of the constituencies going to polls including Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar and Alipurduar, among others. Television channels have gone so far as keeping their websites up-to-speed with the latest election updates.
Focus Bangla (earlier Ne Bangla) editor-in-chief Biswa Majumdar said that the channel had interviewed most of the big shots in these elections. “For elections, we have 14 special programs. Celebrities will go to places and interact with people,” he said. Focus Bangla has dedicated five to six hours every day for election coverage and earmarked anywhere between Rs 30 lakh and Rs 40 lakh for it.
For ETV News Bangla, elections are an important occasion for making a mark in the regional news space. “This year, the election is colourful and especially in Bengal with many celebrities contesting either from TMC or BJP. For Thursday, we have deployed the team and OB vans for Darjeeling. From 8am till 12 noon and then again from 4 pm to 9 pm, we will telecast live news, latest developments and talk shows to stay ahead of the others in terms of content,” said ETV News Bangla editorial advisor Prabir Ghosal. He added that the channel would be spending a huge amount on election coverage.
TARA (Television Aimed at Regional Audiences) Newz, one of the survivors of the now defunct media arm of the Saradha Group has formed three teams to cover elections in the state and will deploy one more team for election coverage in the national capital.
Tara Newz chief reporter cum input editor Dipankar Nag said that the channel had saved the money collected from advertisements and donations to buy a back pack, so that it could telecast on-ground happenings to viewers within seconds.
While elections seem to be top priority for most of the TV channels, one of the news analysts opined, “The reporters are sweating but hardly anything new is coming out. All the channels are doing the same sort of stories and even special programs are very similar with no sense of innovation.”
While another rued, “It seems most of the channels have forgotten that this is a national election and not a Panchayat poll where they can have an overdose of local politics.”
A third expressed the view that while some news channels are carefully passing on information to viewers, others are manipulating facts to up the news quotient.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
