Heartening response to NBT lights up the sky

LUCKNOW: The language of the masses has found a new voice. On Sunday, New Delhi's No 1 Hindi newspaper, Navbharat Times, arrived in Lucknow, giving fresh impetus to Hindi, this time, in the heartland of the language.
Adman and lyricist Prasoon Joshi, a leading columnist for the paper, said NBT has given Hindi a chance not only to evolve and grow, but also to bridge the disconnect that the youth feel with the language.And now, it will follow suit in Lucknow. "When I began writing for NBT about three years ago, I was convinced no one would read the column. Every Sunday, however, I receive several emails from readers who lost touch but are now making an effort to reconnect with the language," he said.
Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, who distributed laptops that gave students the freedom to use them in English, Hindi or Urdu, agreed. "Hindi is the language of the common man. At present, the country faces many challenges; there are divisive forces at work and India faces problems of spiraling prices, poverty and unemployment. NBT has to stand up to the challenge of mirroring society and deliver accurate, good coverage of news," he said.
Following an overwhelming support from the readers, Bennett, Coleman and Co Ltd CEO, publishing, Ravi Dhariwal, said, "We have received unstinted support from the CM as well as from our readers. The feedback delights our heart and gives us the confidence to take NBT to other parts of the Hindi belt."
To mark NBT's printing in Lucknow, the city folk were treated to a gala laser and fireworks show on Sunday. The state-of-the-art lasers and fireworks and the event was managed for NBT by Shobiz, one of India's leading event management agencies. Hundreds witnessed the gala that lit up the night sky. As the Hindi giant forayed into Lucknow, the sparks just had to fly.