Mission Rejuvenate Bengal is Being Spread
by Shams Hijari
Indeed, it was unnoticed initially, when a social activist, Malay Pitt, who started Positive Barta, a common platform launched to offer fusion of the entire gamut of modern challenges, be it medical education, health, agriculture, empowerment of women or any issue concerns us.
It cannot be denied that when at a function held at the Press Club of India in New Delhi, where Malay was honoured for his contribution, few could believe how such an idea could take shape in a state, which is mostly known as political movements accompanied by only negative ideas. The national press was really mesmerised.
Earlier, it was stated till early fifties that “what Bengal thinks today, rest of India will be following tomorrow”. The region was remembered as Sonar Bengal, a cradle of India’s all-inclusive traditional genius, but during the past eight decades, this land of geniuses, has become a symbol of all-pervasive negative ideas, whether it was a religious divide or political ideologies.
The fortune of the region had further eclipsed following the Bengal famine during the World War-II years, the region had become a land of hungry people or ‘Bhookha Bengali’. Later, after the partition, the epithet,’ Bhookha Bengali’ was replaced by Bangladeshis. It is also being observed that Bengal has become a land of chaos either dominated by sectarian parties or so-called left parties, but amidst these depressing situations, a small, perhaps, an insignificant effort of Positive Barta, like a ‘shama’ or candlelight surviving amidst the cyclones, if not hurricane of negative ideas in this region, indeed, it has become a bold attempt to keep this land of promising illuminating.
A Team Work– It is not surprising that for many even in Kolkata the concept of Positive Barta, an outfit supporting a teamwork initiative, perhaps, was alien. Anyone could collect some street urchins to shout under some flag to lead a political movement. Even after the partition in 1947, West Bengal was one of the most progressive states in India. Its educational institutions were world class, but the negative approach finally buried the genius of the people of this highly accomplished region. In spite of the depressing social and political climate, Positive Bartha has successfully been established. Malay Pitt led a team of enthusiastic individuals, and has finally succeeded in fostering a positive mindset within communities.
Initially, Positive Barta was specifically targeting the youth in Bengal prompting them to shed off the negativity to participate in the task of social development. However, its success in the state has prompted it in disseminating positive messages across the country and it is being done through social media platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, and websites.
Honouring Malay Pit– In fact, the honouring of Malay Pit, who had founded Positive Barta, at a small town of West Bengal, is perhaps, the watershed of the vision and its actual implementation. He was felicitated at the Press Club of Indian on June 14, 2025 by the Asia Book of Records in the presence of noted journalists and writers.
Asia Book of Records, the keeper of records for Asian countries, works under the World Records Union, in close association with various record books, including Vietnam Book of Records, Nepal Book of Records, Cambodia Book of Records, India Book of Records, Indo-China Book of Records, Bangladesh Book of Records, US Book of Records, Ukraine Book of Records, and Indonesia Book of Records, has its headquarters in India and Vietnam.
The Asia Book of Records is promoting the idea that each one of us is born with some very special, unusual and unique talent that can make us stand apart from the rest of the world. When we recognize our talent, it sometimes becomes a passion. In 2008 when various national books of records came together to create what today is known as ‘Asia Book of Records’, it became a common platform having a strong database of 40,000 entries. Each year, it publishes the annual edition of Asia Book of Records, in collaboration with the WorldKing. It is widely circulated through all renowned online and physical bookstores around the globe.
It is hoped that the two organizations would soon be promoting news for cooperation and hope. It is definitely an attempt to reset the current optics that the media is only for negatively or fracturing the society. It could also be a vehicle for growth; thus, emancipating our young people from the all-pervasive negative environment for success and growth.
(Shams is the group editor of the Urdu daily, Missile Express, simultaneously published from New Delhi, Bangalore and Bidar (Karnataka), Hyderabad, Jaipur and Bhagalpur (Bihar).
