Balasore, May 26: In an age where fingers endlessly scroll through mobile screens and short videos dominate attention spans, a small village in Odisha’s Balasore district is quietly fighting back-by keeping the printed newspaper alive.
At Sahada village under Gud Panchayat, a group of 30 newspaper distributors is not just delivering news every morning they are preserving a reading culture that many fear is fading in the digital rush. While concerns grow that even primary school children are losing the habit of reading and struggling to recognize letters, this village is producing a different narrative—one rooted in ink, paper, and discipline.
Sahada, home to around 100 families on the outskirts of Balasore town, transforms into a hub of activity as early as 3 AM. The silence of the night is broken by the sound of bicycles heading nearly 7 km away to the railway station to collect newspapers. What follows is a daily race against time—bundling papers, sorting deliveries, and collecting dues before the sun rises.
Rain, scorching heat, or biting winter nothing stops them. For nearly five decades, newspaper distribution has been the backbone of livelihood in this village, with some families continuing the tradition across three generations.
Balasore Newspaper Vendors Association secretary and Sahada resident Aniruddha Lenka recalls that pioneers like Banchhanidhi Rout, Shiba Kuans, and Krushnachandra Rout first introduced the profession in the area. He himself has been part of this trade for over 30 years, along with many others including Sanatan Rout, Srikanth Kuans, Rabindra Pradhan, Sanatan Lenka, Sukanta Das, Rabi Kuans, Madhusudan Rout, Ajay Kumar Lenka, Kamal Lochan Rout, Anukishore Rout, Mangulu Singh, and Sushant Das.
Most of the distributors come from modest educational backgrounds, yet many have ensured that their children pursue higher education. One such example is Krushnachandra Rout’s son, who is now working as a software engineer in Mumbai reflecting how the profession, though humble, has supported upward mobility for the next generation.
For these distributors, the day begins when the rest of the village is asleep. Their families, especially women, also follow this early routine-finishing household chores and preparing meals before dawn so the men can leave for the station. A simple meal of rice is often all they have before heading out for their long morning routes.
“This job has made us disciplined and responsible,” says Lenka. “We are connected to news every day, and we ensure it reaches people on time. That responsibility has shaped our identity.”
He adds that the profession carries a unique dignity, as it keeps them closely linked with society’s awareness cycle. Their engagement with newspapers has also made their families more conscious, encouraging participation in cleanliness drives and social activities within the village.
However, challenges persist. The COVID-19 pandemic had severely impacted the print media industry, but according to the distributors, collective efforts helped stabilize the situation. Despite the rise of digital media, they say there is still a strong demand for newspapers each morning.
In Sahada, the rustle of newspapers at dawn is more than just delivery-it is a quiet resistance to digital overload and a reminder that print still holds its place in a rapidly changing world.
