Oldest Bengali daily in Northeast India, Prantajyoti Dainik, shuts down after 63 years due to financial constraints : Valley Vision

One of Northeast India’s pioneering Bengali newspapers, Prantajyoti Dainik, established in 1961, has announced its closure due to financial constraints.

The paper ceased publication on October 25, 2024, after 63 years of service.

“Due to financial constraints and losses in the publication business, I am unable to continue with the publication and sale of the newspaper under the name and style Prantajyoti Dainik. Thus, the establishment of Prantajyoti Dainik is shut down with effect from 25-10-2024,” read a statement from Niloy Paul.

The announcement has prompted reflections on social media.

Didar Rahamani, a former staff reporter, shared his nostalgia: “When Prantajyoti Dainik first became a daily, I was a staff reporter in Hailakandi district. News had to be sent by hand or via fax, and many stories I reported were published. Today, seeing the closure of this newspaper on social media, I feel deeply saddened.”

Alfarid Hussain, an associate professor of mass communication at Assam University, expressed similar sentiments, posting: “The death of a newspaper. A sad day, not only for journalism and the people associated with the publication, but to the culture of public discourse that newspapers generated within a society.”