Features: Magazine | Literary Review | Life | Metro Plus | Open Page | Education Plus | Book Review | Business | SciTech | Friday Review | Young World | Property Plus | Quest | Folio |

Gone, but not forgotten

An editor for 31 years, an activist of working journalists, late M.Chalapathi Rao was always voracious. P.S.BHATT recollects meeting him for an interview

AWE-INSPIRING It was a great opportunity to have met MC

It was an occasion to celebrate when that great friend of Nehru and cartoonist Shankar descended on this city in 1982 to deliver the Chandram Memorial Lecture sponsored by a local newspaper. M Chalapathi Rau was an ardent advocate of journalistic ethics and social commitment of the working journalists, beyond any parochial interests.

Though he was the first president of federation of working journalists, he was critical of the inadequate support to developmental journalism by the press and radio.

Though he himself was a good broadcaster, he had no soft corner for broadcast journalism, then reeling under State control. He was deliberate to comment upon the dynastic rule being perpetuated in the country.

Though I had brief sittings with him in his hotel room listening to him on Chintamani and Eswar Dutt, the two eminent editors of his time, it was not easy for me to prepare for the recording of his interview for radio.

I could not ask anything on the autonomy for the electronic media, nor on the Nehru family, lest he sprang up some irreversible opinions on Mrs. Gandhi.

With a personality like him sitting before microphone, could a novice like me contain him to be diplomatic?

Advice to cherish

Given in to his clear thinking and rational advices expressed at the Press Club, I was afraid of my own show in the studio. I timidly tried to pass on the questionnaire to him, only to validate any limitations as an employee at Radio.

He was reluctant to go through it. Eyelids half open, he said in his baritone: "Go ahead, we will cover anything under the roof."

Barely before I could retract in defence of my intention, he threw up an advice, which every scribe would love to cherish: "Don't leak your questions to anyone."

Reassured by his advice, I could safely volley some questions on struggle for Independence and on planning his own career. He was only 79 by the time he completed his honours at Madras.

Those were the days when Bose had resigned from the I.C.S to join politics. "He was an inspiration. I also wanted to join I.C.S. and then resign only to become famous.

So I went to Delhi to write the Indian Civil Service examinations. That was in 1933-1934.

I was declared medically unfit though I was awarded All India first rank marks in many subjects. For maximum marks of 200, I got 192 in the politics paper.

Inspiring trainer

Many students used to come to me for coaching in the subject. "Many advocates at the Madras Bar wanted me to stay back at Madras.

Though I was invited to Allahabad by K. Eswara Dutt to join him, his antagonism to Nehru, my friend, created some unease and I had to leave him. "But Dutt immensely liked me," recollected M.C.

Those were the days when new world information order was in the news.

I thought it was proper to ask him on that subject of interest where M.C. was doing his bit to the project.

I could not resist M.C. to quip, "What you were granted was a slow speed bulletin of news to other countries, which were poor in English language. They were to copy your text."

I was not desperate to edit his version though the heat of the answer was latent.

After the interview, I told him how disappointed I was by a dismissive talk time reluctantly granted by Shankar some years ago at Delhi. He affectionately patted on my shoulder and said: " You could have contacted me. It could have been a long chat over a cup of steaming tea!" M.C. was unassuming.

I could not make it. I was deprived of a chance forever.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail