Behind the News: Voices from Goa's Press

World Press Institute, moved to the US for a year's study, work and travel. Later, he spent 10 weeks at the Denver Post (1967), worked for a Catholic weekly in Toronto, and was a copy editor in

writing, for which purpose he sees jo

sm that goes like this: facts

vocation in journalism that I was contemplating on, at the time, akin to the priesthood. The concept of 'freedom of the press' particularly attracted and engaged my young min

sm would offer me a plat

ly kissing but wants to explore the whole body. And as a follower of another truism, namely, he who seeks finds the way, lucky circumstance fell into my lap and I

w in my inamorata - the lady fancied the use of hyperbole and propaganda as legitimate means to promote herself. My idealism received a jolt of reality when Lambert Mascarenhas, editor of the periodic

avhind Times, owned and published by the Dempo Brothers, who had become wealthy in the mining business. My fascination

and joined the pa

named T. V. Parvate from Maharashtra, ostensibly to give balance to the paper's news and views. Often at around 5:30 p.m., I would see Mr. Dempo carefully perusing the editorial that Lambert or Parvate had written before it came to the newsroom. The editors wrote on alternate days. I would know, for example, that Dempo had s

ssionals who knew and understood the law of libel and defamation. Lambert, flashing his customary smile by way of indulging me, a novice in the game of politics, said it was a cond

rter

pear to be sacred, but as a reporter I choose them to slant a 'story' in a particular way. Moreover, space in a newsp

or would throw at me reams of teletype copy from Reuters, Associated Press, Agence-France Presse, and The New York Times News Service on a current story, such as race riots in Johannesburg, or post-revolution democracy woes in Portugal or

Times carried during the month-long campaign for the historic, fir

Congress Party, in effect buying a ticket for Vaikuntrao in the Goa elections. The local Goa Pradesh Congress Committee, headed by Purushottam Kakodkar, a freedom fighter and an apos

o new political parties came into being and declared their election platforms. One was the United Goans, led by Dr. Jack de Sequeira, which stood for a separate state for Goa. The other was the Maharashtrawadi

orter at the paper, it fell to my lot to deliver the news with this bias. On the campaign trail, I traveled the length and breadth of Goa, speaking to Congress candidates and often manufactur

d office from the various constituencies. During the campaign, Lal Bahadur Shastri, the Indian Home Minister, visited Goa to lend his support to the Congress candidates. Kakodkar arranged for me an exclusive interview with the minister. In the interview, Shastri affirmed that a separate status for G

, of course, had to be objective and he was. As a matter of fact, he would often feed me stories about the other two parties, based on the 'inside' information he had

ws of India) told me that the United Goans' campaign (workers dashing about in open trucks with loud music and handing out campaign litera

vin

of the election, a day of pause in electioneering, I wrote an upbeat story (about three takes) and handed it to Mr. Salkhade, the news editor from Maharashtra. He sc

wild notion entered my head, a spur-of-the-moment impulse, with no rhyme or

ough only 28, I was now on

lo B

t for you today. I

in

row. Looks like Congress will win with an overwhelming majori

tion, but not exhausted. In this respect, Kakodkar came across

sroom, beyond earshot. That wild notion came rushing again, pr

can I ask yo

of co

ybody else, have been responsible for all the publicity you've received. Soon you'l

d, "What d

f you become the c

press se

t answe

y n

n't d

n the event that you do become the chief minister, could

N

you for a job. I already have a job. All I am asking is, if you

o anything

at I have done for you? I am disappoi

ctured him, in his customary white khadi bush shirt and

was watching the news editor for my voice carried unusually far.

d heard that Kakodkar was a highly principled man, and then with a sinking feeling in m

favorite bar to nu

hout a single seat in Goa. The MG won 14 seats to the UG's 12, with two indepen

e? I had no heart to ask him that. After that personal and private telephone conversation, the two of us carried on as

s in

proprietors was not limited to Goa. I hear

osition with 83. In the ensuing five years, the Mulroney government brought in a new bill called Goods and Services Tax, a highly controversial measure that proved unpopular with the majority of Canadians. St

the Tories. The shocker came on the night of the election-October 25. The fall from grace for the Tories was as stunning as it was deserved. They won only two seats in total, each in the provinc

litics in Canada. As owner of London's Daily Telegraph, the Jerusalem Post, and Chicago's Sun-Times, Mr. Black hired top talent and spared no expense, at least for the first two years, to make the Post successful in creating and wooing the conservative voice in Canada. In the 2000 election, his paper became as one-si

and the Queen accepted that Conrad Black be made a Lord. But sweet revenge raised its arms and Jean Chretien said Black couldn't be a Lord while being a Canadian citizen. Black was

ments of journalism, it seems to me, are flawed. Like beauty and sex, freedom of the press is i