West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday
fondly remembered Barun Sengupta, the founder-editor of Bartaman newspaper
on his death anniversary
“Very fondly remembering Barun da (Barun Sengupta), the founder-editor of
Bartaman newspaper on his death anniversary,” Ms Banerjee posted on her social
networking page.
“He was one of the bravest journalists I have known,” she added.
Born on January 23, 1934, Sengupta was a Bengali journalist and popular political
critic. He is remembered for his bold and simple diction of political analyzing that
made him extremely well liked among the common readers in West Bengal.
He joined Anandabazar Patrika in 1960 and became its first designated political
correspondent in 1965. During the Emergency, he was sent to jail along with another
reporter, Gour Kishore Ghosh.
In 1984, he left Anandabazar Patrika to start his own journal and launched
Bartaman, a daily, on December 7 that year. Soon, for its straightforward and intrepid
style, the journal became extremely popular among the common Bengali readers.
Later Sengupta launched two more periodicals – Saptahik Bartaman, a weekly and
Sukhi Grihokon, a monthly and this time too it was a success. These two journals are
now widely read in the state.
He wrote several books on India’s political situation–Pala Badaler Pala, Sab Chatitra
Kalpanik, Bipak-i-stan, Andhakarer Antaraley and Netajir Antardhan Rahasya being
some of them. One of his controversial book “Indira Ekadashi” was based on the
11-year tenure or rather “rule” of Late Indira Gandhi as the Prime Minister of India
(1966-77).
He died in a south Kolkata nursing home after a brief illness on June 19, 2008.
Mamata fondly remembers Barun Sengupta, founder-editor of Bartaman, on his death anniversary
