Friday 1 June 2018

RECOLLECTIONS Sweet and Sour - 06



Mango is the fruit of summer.  Though the king of fruits comes in different varieties, the most preferred ones are Banganapalli, Alphonso, Malgova and Imam Pasand for their own unique flavour and feel.  






MY MANGO MUSINGS
(By Subbaram Danda)


I cannot forget an incident that took place one good summer morning a few decades ago.  An emissary of a prominent industrialist of Tamil Nadu brought to my residence a big basket of mangoes in a public relations exercise.    

“Sir, this is from the famous Thathachariar garden of Srirangam.  It is the best quality Imam Pasand grown with all care and naturally ripened.  It is not easily available in the market. My boss has asked me to deliver it to you with his personal compliments,” the emissary told me in an endearing voice.  The basket would have contained at least 50 fruits neatly tucked in hay.

It was unexpected. I was surprised.  I could not react immediately.  It had been my policy not to accept gifts sent privately to my residence by any person.   But this was a tricky situation.  The industrialist was an excellent source of news for me and a very likeable person.  He had given me clues about major business developments, which helped me land good scoops many a time.  He had also given me his unlisted personal phone number, so that I could contact him any time without having to go through his secretary.   (In those days there were only landlines and some specially acquired numbers were not listed in the official telephone directory.)

I was in a peculiar dilemma.  If I rejected the gift, how would he react?  Would he think that I was rude?  Finally I took the plunge and politely declined the gift, hoping he would understand me.    

The emissary was aghast.  He showed me a long list of possible recipients, which included senior bureaucrats, politicians, media persons, bankers and others who mattered.  Still, I stuck to my guns.  He left somewhat puzzled and disappointed.

My fears were unfounded.  The industrialist called me back and expressed his appreciation of my stand.  Afterwards, we became very thick friends.

Gifts were the big bugbear of many journalists. What would constitute a gift?  Would the lunch given to journalists at a press conference in a five-star hotel by a company declaring its annual financial results constitute a gift or only the give-away offered at the end?  Similarly, if an organization took a press party to its plant in another part of the state to showcase its activities, would it amount to a gift?

All these factors led me to take a decision – a viable and practical one.  I would not mind accepting any gift given openly in a press meet or at a get together but not those sent home personally.  I threw the idea at my junior colleagues and they happily agreed to it.  It was this stand that made me decline the basket of Imam Pasand mangoes.  I was sure that other senior journalists in the city at that time too had similar standards with some exceptions here and there.  

I should acknowledge here with all appreciation that reporters of The Hindu, on instructions from their higher ups, had always declined gifts of every kind, given openly or not, though they partook in lunches and conducted tours.

This was the position a few decades ago.  Then there were only a few newspapers besides All India radio and Doordarshan.  A lot of water has flowed since then.  It is anybody’s guess what the situation is right now. 

A word about Imam Pasand.  It is a rare variety grown only in select areas in our country.  It is somewhat more expensive than others.  A Hindi or Urdu word, it means Imam’s favourite.  The Imam was Mughal emperor Humayun.   Connoisseurs look at it as an outstanding variety in view of its rich and unique taste.  However, my choice is Banganapalli first and then Malgova.   

In the meantime, let us enjoy the mango, whatever the variety is, as long as the season lasts! (Ends)

June 01, 2018