In the second part of
the series “RECOLLECTIONS Sweet and Sour”
I would like to touch upon my unusual entry into journalism and a
great editor, who groomed and shaped me. Here it goes.
A local post card
played a major role in my life. It
launched me into journalism and made it my career.
It was the last term of
my final year in college. I saw an
advertisement in the Indian Express
calling for applications from candidates aspiring to become staff reporters. One qualification required was shorthand.
I had passed lower
shorthand in first class as also high speed typewriting in first class. In those days almost all college students in
my neighbourhood learnt typewriting and shorthand in their free time in the
morning or in the evening. I was no
exception.
I wrote my application
on a post card and mailed it. I don’t
remember why I did it that way. Perhaps,
it came in handy. Editor C. P. Seshadri,
I heard later, looked at my “application” and commented to his colleagues, “See
here is a guy who has applied for the job through a post card. Looks like he does things differently. We are calling him for the written tests and
interview.”
What happened next is
history. I was taken in. And more importantly, I was permitted to join
duty after I completed my university examinations. Strange was the way of my entry into
journalism.
Seshadri was an editor
one should be fortunate enough to work under and learn the ropes. He was fondly known as Master, because he was
earlier the tuition master to Bhagwandas Goenka, son of Ramnad Goenka, chairman
of the newspaper group.
About two decades later
I resigned my job as Chief of News Bureau of the Financial Express, a business daily in the Express stable, for a
greener pasture in the American Consulate.
I went to Master’s office to inform him about my decision. For a moment he looked surprised. Then he
looked at his colleagues in the hall and commented, “Subbaram is leaving
us. I don’t think we can be happy about
it. However, in his interests, let us
wish him well. I don’t know how many of
you know that he had applied for his job here on a post card.”
Such complimentary
words from none other than Master were precious. I was touched, really touched. It was a
surprise that he remembered my post card episode so well even after many years!
A tall stately figure
with a pleasing face, he would tell new comers what expressions they should use
to describe a given situation or an event aptly and what verbs they should use
for a desired effect. I have not seen
him lose his cool any time. He had an
uncanny knack of identifying talent and encouraging such persons.
Master would come to
office every day, including Sundays, shortly after noon and work till the
newspaper went to the press in the night.
He was staying in the office-provided quarters in the sprawling Express
Estates, from where Chennai editions of all Express group publications functioned. And a lively joke at that time
was that he was paid a conveyance allowance to travel from the Express Estates
to the Express Estates! The entire place
was converted some years ago into a posh shopping mall under the name Express
Avenue.
An admirable trait of
Master was that he was an ardent lover of books. He used to tell us, “Keep reading. Learn new expressions. Be abreast of times.” He used to call me at the American Consulate
at least once a month asking me to select books for him from the American
library. He would send his attender to
collect them. My colleagues in the
library helped me in my task.
I distinctly remember
one of his calls. “This is Seshadri
speaking. I am 84 today. I am not able to work as I have been doing in
the past. Still I am carrying on, putting in my best effort. At the same time, I cannot stop reading. Can you arrange to send me some new
books?” Two years later he passed
away.
A doyen of Indian journalism,
Master served the Indian Express for
60 solid years. It is a world record –
serving a single newspaper institution for such a long time. Because of his special relationship with the Express bosses Master could continue in
his top position so long. Scores of
youngsters, including women, whom he groomed and shaped, would always cherish
his memory and remain grateful to him.
My salutes to a great Guru!
(Recollections will
continue)
February 01, 2018
