The Durgapur Press Club: A beacon of hope and custodian of culture in trying times
Democracy is not known to move very fast, often lumbering on at a snail's pace. But it moves ahead, nonetheless, thanks in part to the Fourth Pillar or Fourth Estate—the Press. My burgeoning city, Durgapur, has been at the epicentre of change for the past many decades now. It has seen the coming and going of political regimes. It has been in the thick of high-pitched collisions between rival factions. And it has witnessed abrupt and often uncomfortable modernisation. What has remained resolute and steadfast in the face of every adversity, though, is the Durgapur Press Club.
Alo is the Durgapur Press Club's unique initiative—an annual magazine that strives to tell the tale of the people of the Ruhr of Bengal and its underlying culture, shaped by centuries of mining, industrialization, and ethnic mingling. For years, it has served as an important platform for the artists, social workers, and journalists of the region, showcasing literary works and achievements that would have otherwise gone unnoticed in a very Kolkata-centric clatter. 2025 was earmarked for a more pronounced celebration of Alo. On the 23rd and May 24, Durgapur celebrated Alo Utsav 2025—a grand festival to commemorate, among other things, the contributions of the preeminent journalists and citizens of this region, and one hundred years of Raktakarabi, Tagore's timeless play, which continues to remain relevant in the current times.
In a formal discussion at the newly inaugurated Press Club building ahead of the Alo Utsav, the senior journalists of Durgapur told me how the Durgapur Press Club has been more than a beacon of hope for the oft-ignored warriors of this region. 'When we read the news every morning, do we spare a thought for the people who braved so many odds to bring the important stories to us before our first cup of morning tea?' asked Sri Kanchan Siddiqui, a luminary journalist who has been at the forefront of all media-related efforts in the region. Under the auspices of senior pressmen like him, the Durgapur Press Club has grown into an overarching banyan tree shielding journalists from untoward incidents. Initiatives such as health insurance, safeguards against income loss, and—more than anything else—bringing together the entire press fraternity into one giant family have been transformative. Durgapur Press Club TV has been a major success with more and more people tuning into it every day for unadulterated news.
Talking about the new Press Club building, celebrated journalist Sri Bikash Sen acknowledged the empathy and willingness shown by the Government of West Bengal and the Asansol Durgapur Development Authority in understanding the need for a proper building to house the association. 'It cost the government more than 2 crores to allocate land and raise the building. We are thankful to the administration and our Hon CM, Smt Mamata Banerjee, for going the extra mile to accommodate us,' said Sri Sen.
In the coming times, the Durgapur Press Club plans to stir up a wave of counter-cultural movement aimed at preserving the socio-linguistic flavours of Rahr Bangla—the portion of the Chota Nagpur plateau encompassing Bengal's west and south districts. The aim is to uphold the region's cultural diversity in the face of rapid urbanisation—a seemingly unstoppable juggernaut that has been steamrolling all over the region, destroying rustic nuances in its path. This process has been going on since coal was first discovered in 1774 near Raniganj by John Sumner and Suetonius Grant Heatly of the East India Company. As colonial settlers and fortune seekers began settling in the area, the first people to be affected were the Santhals. With time, the marauding effects of abrupt industrialisation were tempered to a certain degree. A new localised culture was born out of the mingling of Bengalis, the many local tribes, and white European settlers. Among other places, Chelidanga of Asansol stands testament to that mingling, nestling a vibrant Anglo-Indian community.
The post-Independence era saw the setting up of the Durgapur Steel Plant, and with it came a wave of settlers from the neighbouring state of Bihar, seeking work in a still-nascent industrial leviathan, away from the murderous coalfields. What exists now is a beautiful mélange born out of the continued mingling of Bengali and Hindi speakers. But that culture is under attack from a very metro-centric urbanisation now, and the Durgapur Press Club intends to shield the region from it. 'We want our Gen Z and the coming generations to be aware of the rich history of our treasured corner of Bengal. It's a microcosm, no less. And the youth need to understand that the socio-linguistic heritage of the Ruhr of Bengal is worth preserving,' remarked Sri Siddiqui.
Democracy and culture thrive when the fourth pillar is strong and well-founded. And nothing can exemplify this fact more than the Durgapur Press Club and the people behind it.
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