Industrialist Sanjiv Goenka, 8 others get Anandabazar Online's Bachhorer Best award

Kolkata: Industrialist Sanjiv Goenka and eight others from different fields were conferred the 'Bachhorer Best' (best of the year) award by Anandabazar Online at an annual function organised to commemorate the achievements of people from West Bengal.

Goenka, founder and chairman of Kolkata-based RPSG Group, was felicitated for his contributions in several fields from power, chemical, FMCG, retail, music to sports.

The moderators pointed out Goenka's investments and generation of employment. A visibly moved Goenka thanked 'Anandabazar.com' for the award.

To a question about any possibility of his franchise Mohun Bagan club figuring in Club World Cup in future, he replied, "Very soon."

Scientist Ananda Shankar Bandyopadhyay, who was given the award for his work on polio vaccine, said, "While India has become polio-free, it has not become polio danger-free. Virus does not know borders. So, we should be cautious." 

Asked if there will be a need to get COVID vaccine again in future, he said, "The virus will determine the vaccine and not the other way round."

Now the COVID situation is "good", he observed, negating any immediate possibility to be vaccinated for the third time.

Another recipient, Bharati Mudi, a women's football coach from Jangalmahal area in western part of the state, said she had faced opposition for taking tribal girls to Kolkata for football coaching in 2009 but the situation and mindset changed gradually.

"Still, my battle continues," said Mudi, who motivated many women to come forward to play football.

Another recipient, mathematician Ritobroto Munshi of Indian Statistical Institute, said, "God is not well defined but mathematical equations are defined. We work with numbers, so like every single thing in this world, the question about the existence of God can be answered one day by numbers."

Young director Abhinandan Bandyopadhyay of 'Manikbabur Megh' fame, artiste Paresh Maity, footballer and Mohun Bagan's two-time captain Subhasis Basu, US-based writer Tithi Bhattacharya, renowned actor Tillotama Shome were the other recipients of the award for their contributions in their respective fields.

Media baron and Editor Emeritus of ABP Group, Aveek Sarkar, said that while the number of achievers from West Bengal has declined over the years "excepting a few Nobel prize winners and few singers, there is still hope".

"When we come across sparks and intellect while zeroing in on the names for this award -- some of them may not be much well known -- but when we consider their rich volume of works, we feel Bengalis have so much to give yet," he said.

Indian pop icon Usha Uthup regaled the audience with her rendition of devotional songs for Lord Shiva.