When the media fraternity of Assam intensifies its activities for electoral coverage relating to India’s national election for 16th Lok Sabha starting on April 7, the sad news broke. The management of Shillong Times Private limited has closed down the publication of Sangbad Lahari, a Bengali daily newspaper simultaneously published from Guwahati and Shillong.

By Nava J. Thakuria

As the closure notice (Ref no ST/63/14, signed by general manager Mrs S Chaudhuri) came from the Shillong based management, the publication of the daily has ceased since 31 March 2014.

The notice served on 26 March to the employees of the daily, cited the reason for shutting down the newspaper as because of ‘reasons beyond its control’ (read financial crisis). The owner of the media house that published Sangbad Lahari always claimed that it was not ‘a money-making venture but a social service for the esteem Bengali readers’.

Manas Chaudhuri, a seasoned politician of Meghalaya whose family owns the publication house, reiterated the mission as and when needed explanation. Sangbad Lahari was first launched in Guwahati in 2009 and later its Shillong edition was started in July 2011. The then Meghalaya Governor RS Mooshahary released the first copy of Sangbad Lahari, which was in fact the first Bengali daily of the State.

Chaudhuri, the then managing director of Shillong Times group was also present on the occasion to narrate his mission statement that it was not a profitable venture like many other media enterprises.

Prior to Sangbad Lahari, Assam witnessed the formal closing down of three daily newspapers and one satellite news channel in Guwahati during 2013. First it was the sudden closure of Sakaal Bela, a Bengali daily Seven Sisters’ Post, an English newspaper, following the
collapse of Kolkata based Saradha Group of Companies, which owned both the media outlets.
It was followed by Prime News, a satellite news channels initially owned by Jiban Surakhya Group and Dainik Pratibimba, an Assamese daily run by RB Publications. Nearly 1000 media employees rendered jobless with the shutting down of four media outlets within a year.

The employees of three newspapers did not receive any compensation from the management, but the television employees of Prime News could compel its management with a series of protests to release three months’ compensatory salaries to them at the time of closure.

Assam has over 25 morning daily newspapers and thousands of periodicals published in different languages. Moreover it hosts seven privately owned satellite news channels which beam news and other programs in various languages, Assamese, English, Hindi, Bengali with other
regional languages to cater to the needs of the nearly 60 million population of northeast India.

The journalist and non-journalist media employees engaged with various Guwahati based newspapers and news channels have already expressed their concern at the closure of Sangbad Lahari that rendered 100 employees jobless. They have also demonstrated in front of Guwahati
Press Club on Sunday 30 March 30 covering their mouths with black clasps.

The agitators have urged both Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi and Meghalaya chief minister Dr Mukul Sangma to pursue with the management to continue the publication of Sangbad Lahari. They also rejected the offer of Shillong Times management to pay one month’s salary to the employees of Sangbad Lahari as a token of support by 8 April next.

All Assam Media Employees’ Federation (AAMEF) has already lodged a complaint regarding the closure of Sangbad Lahari in the office of the state labour commissioner in the city. AAMEF president Hiten Mahnata argues that the Shillong Times management must release at least five
months’ compensatory salaries to the employees of Sangbad Lahari with other legal benefits.

The media employees’ federation observed with irritation that like other media houses of the region, the management of Sangbad Lahari also indirectly cited the reason of financial crisis in its closure notice. The media house owners irrespective of newspapers or privately-owned news channels have made it a habit to show a loss-making balance sheet to avoid paying due salaries to the employees.

“Except few, it’s a common practice for all the media barons in Assam to divert funds from the collected amount of money from the advertisers to other non-media enterprises owned by their families. Thus the owners continue siphoning away the essential resource of the media groups for their selfish interest only to showcase the media business as an unprofitable endeavour,” asserted Mahnata.

AAMEF also reiterated its demand for a social media audit of the concerned newspaper house, as the managements claimed that an acute financial crisis was the primary reason behind the closure notice for Sangbad Lahari, such that its valued readers can have a fair idea about the present crisis of the media enterprise.