The Indian Express will launch its Patna edition today, eleventh across the country
The Indian Express, with its unique blend of investigative and explanatory journalism and commitment to fairness and accuracy, now comes to Bihar.
On Monday, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will grace the launch of the Patna edition of The Indian Express, the 11th edition of the daily published from centres across India.
The launch of the Patna edition is taking place in the month that marks 50 years of an inglorious chapter in Indian democracy — the imposition of Emergency in 1975. And it was The Indian Express, under Ramnath Goenka, which took the lead in opposing the suspension of fundamental rights, the muzzling of the Press and the excesses of the authorities. It published a blank editorial to protest the removal of content by censors.
Goenka was very close to Jayaprakash Narayan who gave a clarion call against Indira Gandhi's government from the Ramlila Grounds in Delhi in June, a year after his call for Sampoorna Kranti from the Gandhi Maidan in Patna.
Incidentally, Nitish Kumar was among the youth leaders who responded to JP's call and played a key role in opposing the draconian measures that Emergency ushered in.
Announcing the launch of the Patna edition, Viveck Goenka, Chairman and Managing Director of The Indian Express Group, said, 'For us, this is also a homecoming. Our founder, Ramnath Goenka Ji, was born in Darbhanga and had close ties with Jayaprakash Narayan. Bihar has always been crucial in the national discourse. Launching our Patna edition is a milestone for The Indian Express because the people in Bihar, known for their acute political sense and social conscience, deserve the best of journalism that does justice to their needs and aspirations.'
Currently, The Indian Express publishes from 10 centres: Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Delhi, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune and Vadodara.
The Patna edition is being launched months before Bihar heads to crucial Assembly elections.
Bihar's rich cultural and political history and recent strides in governance — from 50% quota for women in panchayats to 35% reservation in government jobs — make it a significant state to watch.
Santosh Singh is a Senior Assistant Editor with The Indian Express since June 2008. He covers Bihar with main focus on politics, society and governance. Investigative and explanatory stories are also his forte. Singh has 25 years of experience in print journalism covering Bihar, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka.
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