Criticles

Patel Rap Versus The Big G

History repeats itself. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was supposedly asked by Mahatma Gandhi to step down to make way for Nehru in the 1946 election for the Congress presidency. And today, Vallabhbhai Patel has once again had to make way for another Nehru family member.

So what if it’s Patel’s birth anniversary today? If you took a look at today’s papers, you wouldn’t guess it. Because staring out at you, page after page, are various ads commemorating Indira Gandhi’s death anniversary.  Oh yes, there’s the stray and almost always sole Vallabhbhai Patel birth anniversary ad. But they’re very few and far between. All politicians are equal, but some it seems are more equal than others for the advertising divisions of the various ministries.

NewspaperIndira Gandhi advertisementsVallabh bhai Patel advertisements
Hindustan Times – Gurgaon
  1. Page 2 – 2/3rd page by Delhi govt Directorate of Information and Publicity
  2. Page 5 – ½ page by I&B Ministry
  3. Page 6 – ½ page by Ministry of Commerce and Industry
  4. Page 7 – ¼ page by Ministry of Steel
  5. Page 13 – ½ page by Ministry of Power
  6. Page 15 – ½ page by Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
  7. Page 21 – ¼ page by Haryana Government

 

  1. Page 4 – ½ page by I&B Ministry

 

The Times of India – Gurgaon
  1. Page 4 – ½ page
  2. Page 11 – ½ page
  3. Page 16 – ½ page
  4. Page 21 –  ½ half page Page 21 – ¼ page by Ministry of Steel
  5. Page 22 – ½ page
  6. Page 25 – ¼ page
  7. Page 2 – ½ page
Hindustan Times –  Delhi
  1. Page 2 – 2/3 page by Delhi Govt Directorate of Information & Publicity
  2. Page 5 – ½ page by Ministry of I&B
  3. Page 6 – ½ page by Ministry of Commerce & Industry
  4. Page 7 – ¼ page by Ministry of Steel
  5. Page 13 – ½ page by Ministry of Power
  6. Page 15 – ½ page by Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment
  7. Page 21 – ¼ page by Haryana Govt
  8. Page 4 – ½ page ad by Ministry of I&B
The Times of India – Delhi
  1. Page 4 – ½ page by Ministry of Power
  2. Page 9 – ½ page by Ministry of I&B
  3. Page 14 – ½ page by Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment
  4. Page 19 – ½ page by Ministry of Commerce & Industry
  5. Page 19 – ¼ page by Ministry of Steel
  6. Page 20 – ½ page by Ministry of HRD
  7. Page 23 – ¼ page by Haryana govt
  8. Page 2 – ½ page by Minister of I&B
The Indian Express – Delhi
  1. Page 4 – 2/3rd page by Dept of Information & Public Relations by Govt of Rajasthan
  2. Page 5 – ½ page by Ministry of I&B
  3. Page 5 – ½ page by Ministry of Commerce & Industry
  4. Page 9 – 2/3page by Delhi Govt Ministry of Information & Publicity
  5. Page 12 – ½ page by Ministry of HRD
  6. Page 18 – ½ page by Ministry of Power
  7. Page 18 – ¼ page by Ministry of Steel
  8. Page 19 – ½ page by Ministry of I&B
The Hindu Delhi
  1. Page 2 – ½ page by Ministry of I&B
  2. Page 2 – ¼ page by Ministry of Steel
  3. Page 5 – ½ page by Ministry of Commerce & Industry
  4. Page 6 – ½ page by Ministry of Power
  5. Page 7 – 2/3rd page by Delhi govt Directorate of Information and Publicity
  6. Page 19 – ¼ page by Haryana govt
  7. Page 22 – 2/3rd page by Dept of Information & Public Relations by Govt of Rajasthan
Zero
TOTAL41 (Forty-one)6 (Six)

The advertisements in the Delhi-NCR editions of seven newspapers were taken into consideration.

Image and gfx by Reetika Verma

With inputs from Aastha Manocha.

Also Read