Scores NOT Settled as Yet as PrbahasH Joshi is NO MORE!We Loved him Most and We hated Him Most. Finally It Is Pack Up Time!
Indian Holocaust My Father`s Life and Time - Two Hundred
Palash Biswas
http://indianholocaustmyfatherslifeandtime.blogspot.com/
We LOVED him Most and We Hated him most.He recruited us, destroyed us, dumped us and Never looked back. He forgot our names. He visited kolakat and never called us. He was ahgainst RSS but he would land in RSS base SARSWAT Brahmin Home in Kolkata.
Noted journalist Prabhash Joshi died of a heart attack on Thursday night. He was 72.
He was admitted to a private hospital after he complained of chest pain at 11.30 pm where doctors declared him dead, family sources said.
We met in Grand Hotel in Kolakat where he was staying and I had just jumped in without any formal Appointment letter as he had asked me to join.Dr. Mandhata Singh, Kripa shankar Chaube, Dilip Mandal and Sanjoy Sharma were the other journalists recruited by Joshi were present at the occassion. We had not faced Joshi as on the ady scheduled for our Interview, Rma nath Goenka Passed away and Joshi, very close to him was away. Rather we faced BANWARI and Shyam Acharya having attended the Mourning in the Premises of Express Bhawan. Aruna Asaf Ali paid Condolence and we were called in the cabin of Resident Editor Banwari. I had applied for New Editor. Joshi called us in Kolkata. The appoinment letter was pending as our status and payscales were still Undecided.In Grand Hotel, Joshi made it very clear that status means nothing isn Express group and journalism is no CAREER. It is Mission. But I was reluctant and Joshi clarified that Amit Prkash singh is the News Editor and I was NEXT to him. He asked me to shift my family from Bareilly where I last worked in Amarujala. My Wife Sabita was Working as School teacher and her job was Permanent. We did shift and I got the appoint ment letter after SIX months back dated and the status remained as SUB Editor there after as Joshi believed that only Brahmins could lead in any Sphere of Life. We could not know as I have been joining Newspapers without appointment letter and getting Appoinment Letters with Status afterwards. In AWAZ, Prabhat Khabar, dainik Jagaran, I worked in senior Positins and joined the Job without an appointment letter. My Identity and roots in balck Untouchable society made no difference in North India. But Kolkata Management was quite different which was up against me from the Beginning!
Last night we watched, Sachin Tendulkar cross the Everest of Seventeen Thousand runs and India falling short three RUNs! We knew that Joshi would be reporting as he Never Missed Sachin Tendulkar in Full Bloom. He loved the Cricket God so much so that we stranded sometime whether his Nostalgia about Malva is as passionate or not. I personally always criticised Joshi that he Subverted Burning Issues not taking any stance , making the readership indulged in Cricket.He attacked RSS most aggresively but he was the best Defender of Manusmriti apartheid Rule and even declared that Pdt. Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Atal Bihari bajpai happenthe only people who deserve to RULE and lead India as all of them are Brahmins. You may understand the IMPLICATIONS very well. He duped and DUMPED us but he was DUMPED more pathetically without any favour.
We expected him to write the Next KAGAD kare on Sachin Tendulkar! But the Exciting Event Proved Too FATAL! Now, we may not hope RECOVERY in any Condition.I am just writing the Truth which I did not tell and kept in my heart for so long. Now, it make NO diffrence as Joshi himself taught us that STATUS is IRRELVANT in Journalism. Fortunately , I have NO Status to sacrifice neither I have nothing on stake and anything would rather help me to free me from the Bondage I bear tyhanks to Prabhash Joshi!
He chose a SARASWAT Brahmin in Kolkat as resident Editor and Promoted another Brahmin as chief subeditor who was never in charge of the main desk. He promoted a Brahmin who failed in the nationwide exams and I recommended him to include in the team as I was hinted that AP singh and I had to run the Kolkata edition.The Discrimination and Partiality broke up the team Joshi selected. He never believed OUTSIDERS and chose his Men. promoted them and Defended them persecuting others specially NON Brahmins.
I wrote on this very openly.I was not at all Glad to see JOSHI being sidelined as I knew the Impact for which JANSATTA got the SLOW POISON and could not Sustain its reputation. I talked on this from the Dias of India International Centre in presence of national Intelligentsia and civil Socitety.
We had lost the man who could deal with our problems.
I could have left Kolkat in 1995. I have Managed the Escape Route and decided to return Home. Unfortunately, at the very time Sabita fell ill and she had to undergo Open heart surgery. The Resident Editor Shyama Acharya and my Colleagues , each and every one in Express Group stood by us. I was obliged to decide to stay with the lot whatever may come!
Joshi had asked me in Grand Hotel,` Whay have you come down One Thousand Miles?’
`I have to settle some OLD Scores!”I replied.
Joshi did not ask for Explaination!
Now I realise, I had the Psyche Intact and Aware of the circumstances but could not explain as i had not done the Home work perfect as I did know nothing about Manusmriti rule or Brahaminical hegemony. In Uttarakhand, Caste hindus constitute the Majority Population and we had very good relationship. In fact, since my Primary School days all my teachers and friends had been Marxists as well as Brahmins. They tried their best to Promote me. Even the Benagli Brahamins resettled in Terai were within the limit of our Extended family. Freedom Fighter Basanta Kumar Banerjee lived in Khanpur Number two just two miles away from Basanti Pur. I had free excess in his library as he remained the best friend of my Father. Communist Party general secretary Comrade PC joshi belonged to Almora and my Father was the leader of the Peasants and Refugees in Nainital.He was a Brahamin. harish Dhowndial who was tried for waging against the state along with my father as they led Dhimri Block Peasant Uprising, had been my Local gourdian in Nainital.Pitambar pant was my Primary teacher. Tarachandra Tripathi lifted me from Bengal hotel and put me in his home and shaped me in what I am today. He was a FOLLOWER of Rahul Snkrityayan. He was a Hindi lecturer and Expert in Indigenous and aboriginal History in GIC, Nainital. It was he who made me shifetd in English Medium as he believed it would help our Black untouchable communities as he expected me to rise in Resistance. Shekhar Pathak and Dr. Uma Bhatt, Kabita Pandey and Prema Tiwari, Madhulika Dexit, and every Brahmin professor in DSB college behaved with me as EQUAL and with friendly gesture. In allahabad , I stayed with Shekhar Joshi, the Eminent writer.
Naturally,being a Marxist and involved in Nationality Movements as well as Environment Activism , I Never Read AMBEDKAR and knew nothing about Annihilition of caste and Caste system. I was rather well acquainted with the Spring thundreing. I had Opposed Marichjhanpi campaign of the dandakaranya refugees purely on Environment ground and I knew nothing about the Genocide!
I had NO APATHY against the Brahamins and Brahaminical system. My earlier writings in Hindi dealt with Class Struggle and materialist Interpration of History.
I could not have explained the Unsetted Scores. Which I understand Betetr now and for which I may not leave Bengal as the SCORES Remain Unsettled as yet.
I did not apply at first as I had not seen the vacancy. I had a quarrel with Ashok Agrawal, who changed the First Page of Amarujala cancelling my page as I was the Shift Incharge and underplayed the RIOTS . meerut was in flames and we were trying our best to amintain communal Harmony. Agrawal Came up from Agra all the way and was FIRY as we were losing circulation steep down as we AVOIDED Sensation and our RIVALS did their best to flare Up communalism and Encashing it. It was quite insulting for me as Agrawal used unproper words and tore down the first page and Pasted Himself THREE Banners top to Bottom. Immediately, I walked out of the Presmises. Rahul maheshwari, the Resident Editor got the news and caught me on the Gate> we had good TUNING. Agrawal was accusing me,Biren Dangwal and sunil sah of MISLEADING Immature Rahulji. However Rahulji, Convinced me to return. I declared at the very MOMENt that I would not be working with them any more.
I knew abiout Kolkata Edition and was in no mood to settle in Kokat as my Home in the Terai was within TWO Hours Distance and I could land at Home any time. But I applied for Kolkata Job writing a Personal letter to the Editor in Chief Prabhash Joshi that I had NO GOD Father!
Joshi asked me about this and I told him about my vision and roots . he was so convinced that he did not ask me on UNSETTLED Scores for which I continue to abse in Kolkata even today.
My Friends in Bareilly were against my joining Jansatta. My Friends in New Delhi, including Editorial staff and Reporters who were my frineds as delhi Press Circle knew me well while I was working in Bareilly and Meerut also warned me that JOSHI is a PURE Brahmin and it would be DISASTROUS for me to join Jansatta. Subhash Dhulia, then Professor in JNU Mass Communication center.also opposed teh Idea. But I was influenced by Joshi`s missionary Journalism and was quite FED up with the RSS based Newspaper owners in North India.I also wanted to write in bengali as I had been writing in bengali in my school days before shifting in Hindi! I was also aware of bangla nationality and expecting a Progressive Secular society based on Justice, Equality and Peace!
Sunil Sah had worked with Joshi and he tried his best to convince me that I should not join. Then, Biren dangawal supported me and said the Option was always open. But Agrawal got me write down the Resignation letter immedaitely and declared at last there would be some space in the Editorial!
I met Prabhash Joshi earlier while he shifted from chandigarh as Resident editor of Indian Express, New Delhi. I was working in coal Fields where I was Well Reputed and the Circulation Manager of Indian Express New Delhi met me while on his visit to Caol Fields. he asked me to write an application to the Editor in Chief S. Nihal Singh.Singh sent a Letter and asked me to meet him in new delhi. While I landed in Express Bhawan, S. Nihal singh already left. Mr Grover sent me to Prabhash Joshi and he informed me that there was NO Vacancy and he would consider me in future. I was so upset that I did not apply for Jansatta when the Vacancies Published for delhi edition!
But JANSATTA chaged Hindi Journalism a lot and I had to reconsider my earlier dcision as I also missed Chandigarh Edition while I was in Meerut.
Joshi Promoted my friends superceding me everytime and he Never consider me. We would have Lunch together in rajsthan Guest house and he would always ask me to sit beside him and discuss anything. After some time, he also forgot may name as he used to call me Biswas. It was shocking. Meanwhile , I got myself UPDATED with the History of Bengal and Scientific Manusmriti Rule which Joshi Defended.
I wrote so many things but Joshi never cared to reply in public. Yes, It was a game of Unsettled Scores!Prabhash Joshi made Jansatta a Disastrous Minesfield for Non Brahmin Journalists. Thus, the team which he created, diintegrated very soon and the team splinterd. We remained DUMPED and Unrecognised and Equally, the Brahimns recruited Joshi could not help him being DUMPED and you may not find a single copy of Jansatta in your area neither you fetch or collect it from somewher else. We repent for all those days while the READERS had to SHARE Jansatta as we could not Publish enough copies in demand! Joshi was a Magnet. he was a Miracle but his MALVI Brahamincal mindset could not help him and the CONTROVERSIES on his HINDUTVA never stopped irrespective of CONDOLENCE and Mourning Mode! We may not deny the hard facts and we may not Hide the DEP Cuts in our Mind and heart for which no one, but Prabhash Joshi was RESPONSIBLE!
But it was Prabhash Joshi who taught us what should be Journalism all about. He emphasiesed on rural reporting and cultural roots. While I was shifted from the main desk within months as Amit Prakash singh nd Me turned SWORN Enemies as the BRAHMINS working in Jansatta trapped us in the False war. I was never considered and AP singh also lost the Game and finally Sidelined. During my Tenure as the In charege of dak Editions , I had to dal with more than Two Hundred Stringers and reporters.
What we gained or lost under Joshi, it may be deabated but Joshi led us to make Jansatta a BRAND, the leading Hindi newspaper. We remained STAGNANT and DUMPED but the Newspaper lost its STATUS Gradually and perhaps with the DEMISE of Prabhash Joshi , it is Finally the Pack Up time!
Noted journalist Prabhash Joshi died of a heart attack on Thursday night. He was 72.
He was admitted to a private hospital after he complained of chest pain at 11.30 pm where doctors declared him dead, family sources said.
He is survived by wife Usha Joshi, two sons -- Sandeep and Sopan -- daughter Sonal and mother Leela Bai.
Joshi, who began his career with Nayi Duniya, was the founder editor of leading Hindi daily "Jansatta" in 1983. After retiring from the newspaper in 1995, he continued as the chief editorial advisor.
Originally from Indore, Joshi, a veteran writer and Gandhian, changed the definition of Hindi journalism with the publication of 'Jansatta'.
Joshi also worked with the Indian Express as the resident editor at Ahmedabad, Chandigarh and Delhi.
A prolific sportswriter, especially in cricket, he, incidentally, suffered a heart attack after watching the yesterday's India-Australia ODI match.
His body will be taken to Indore tomorrow by an evening flight where the last rites will be performed at the banks of Narmada.
