Alok Mehta (born 7 September 1952) is an Indian journalist, TV broadcaster and writer . In 2009, he received the civilian honour of
Padma Shri
Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, ...
from the Government of India.
Mehta's work has focused on issues of
social welfare
Welfare, or commonly social welfare, is a type of government support intended to ensure that members of a society can meet Basic needs, basic human needs such as food and shelter. Social security may either be synonymous with welfare, or refe ...
, including education for minorities and healthcare facilities.
Career
Mehta worked as the Hindi editor at the Voice of Germany in
Cologne
Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 m ...
from 1979 t0 1982 . He then worked as a coordinating editor and correspondent for
Voice of America
Voice of America (VOA or VoA) is the state-owned news network and international radio broadcaster of the United States of America. It is the largest and oldest U.S.-funded international broadcaster. VOA produces digital, TV, and radio content ...
based at
Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...
for 10 years .
Mehta has edited a number of publications, including the Hindi Outlook, the Nav Bharat Times, the Nai Dunia, the Dainik Bhaksar, the National Duniya and Governance Now Hindi. In 2002 he launched Hindi Outlook Saptahik.
He was known for his coverage in the Nav Bharat Times on con man Chandra Swami, Jail Singh and V.P. Singh. The front-page story in NBT, as to how the President's house during Gyani Jail Singh tenure, had become a den of terrorists is still included in list of rare stories on the block. As for Chnadra Swami, the conman, Alok Mehta stood his ground despite legal threats as well as dire consequence for his life, namely, would be run over by a truck. As Executive Editor of Hindusatan Mr. Mehta broke the Diary of Govindacharya in which he called Atal Bihari Vajpayee MUKHOTA .. As Editor of Hindi Outlook he carried major cover story exposing Baba Ramdev about his medicines and business, long before he came to national scene . In Hindi Outlook he carried investigative stories on Taj Express way and other Scandals . In Nai Dunia Delhi Edition Mr. Mehta exposed Shanti Bhushan property controversy of Allahabad and very critical views on Arvind Kejariwal Movement .
He served Editors Guild of India as President for 2 years and Secretary General for 4 years Besides, he has been member of the National Integration Council, Press council of India, and a trustee of the Raja Rammohan Roy Library Foundation, National Library Advisory Board, and Prem Bhatia Memorial Trust, Kusumanjali Foundation .
Mehta interviewed a number of well-known public figures, including
Indira Gandhi
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi (; Given name, ''née'' Nehru; 19 November 1917 – 31 October 1984) was an Indian politician and a central figure of the Indian National Congress. She was elected as third prime minister of India in 1966 ...
,
Rajiv Gandhi
Rajiv Gandhi (; 20 August 1944 – 21 May 1991) was an Indian politician who served as the sixth prime minister of India from 1984 to 1989. He took office after the 1984 assassination of his mother, then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, to beco ...
, and
Helmut Kohl
Helmut Josef Michael Kohl (; 3 April 1930 – 16 June 2017) was a German politician who served as Chancellor of Germany from 1982 to 1998 and Leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) from 1973 to 1998. Kohl's 16-year tenure is the longes ...
.
His awards include Padam Shri, D.Lit. by Vikram University - Ujjain, Bahrtendu Harishchandra Award by Government of India, Ganesh Shankar Vidhyarthy Award of Kendriya Hindi Sanstahn of Govt. of India, Patrakarita Bhushan Award of U.P. Government, Patrakar Sahityakar Samman of Hindi Akademi Delhi, Haldighati Samman, Sharad Joshi Samman of M.P. Government for literary and Journalism work, Delhi National Harmony Awards for Journalism, National Tulsi Award.
He was trained by Voice of America at
Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai (, from th, เชียงใหม่ , nod, , เจียงใหม่ ), sometimes written as Chiengmai or Chiangmai, is the largest city in northern Thailand, the capital of Chiang Mai province and the second largest city in ...
in February 2000 in video journalism. He is associated with Talent Media Network as Editorial Director.
Bibliography
* "Naman Narmada- Obeisance to Narmada Publisher: Shubhi Publications
* Social Reforms In India
* कलम के सेनापति SAMAYIK PRAKASHAN
* "पत्रकारिता की लक्ष्मण रेखा" (2000), SAMAYIK PRAKASHAN
* Indian Journalism Keeping it clean Publisher : Rupa & CO.,
* सफर सुहाना दुनिया का (Travelogue OF 40 Countries) SAMAYIK PRAKASHAN
* चिड़िया फिर नहीं चहकी (कहानी संग्रह),
* Bird did not Sing Yet Again (Collections of Short Stories)
* भारत के राष्ट्रपति ( From Rajendra Prasad to Pratibha Patil )
* नामी चेहरे यादगार मुलाकातें ( Interviews of Prominent personalities)
* तब और अब (COMMENTS ON SOCIO POLITICAL ISSUES), Publisher: Kitabghar Prakashan
* स्मृतियाँ ही स्मृतियाँ (TRAVELOGUES OF INDIA AND EUROPE), Publisher: Parag Prakashan
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mehta, Alok
Living people
Indian male journalists
Recipients of the Padma Shri in literature & education
Hindi journalists
1952 births