Goodbye Maharashtra Herald Sakal Times and Gomantak Times
That evening when the parcel or the gattha of the Pune Union Of Working Journalists )PUWJ) landed at my desk in The Times of India, I had absolutely no inkling that it was the beginning of a new era in my journalistic career or in the Pune newspaper industry. As I opened the envelopes and glanced at the press notes, I was shocked at the content of a press note, issued by Sakal Media Group. I immediately showed it to Abhay Vaidya, our chief reporter, who as was his wont, did not show any emotions but immediately rushed to the TOI Pune Resident editor Ravi Srinivasan. Ten minutes later, the press note along with the photo was returned to me with instructions to give all details in the news.
That press note announced that Sakal Media Group had taken over the ailing Pune Camp based Maharashtra Herald and that from the next day, the Old English daily, formerly Poona Herald, would be published by Sakal group. That was somewhere in November 2003. The news given by me was published in The Times of India the next day with a photo of Abhijit Pawar or AP Sir shaking hands with Maharashtra Herald representatives
A few weeks later, I got a call Would I be interested in joining Maharashtra Herald, call Editor Anand Agashe, if interested, I was told. I called back, was subsequently interviewed by AP Sir, Anand Agashe and Gopalrao Patwardhan. I was selected and joined. It was shock to everyone in the journalists tribe in the city that a Times of India journalist was joining Maharashtra Herald. But I had my own reasons for doing so.
I joined Maharashtra Herald in February 2004. Pradumna Maheshwari who had come from Mumbai was the new editor. I thoroughly enjoyed working under Maheshwari who gave me full freedom to write byline stories during the parliamentary and state polls held in 2004.
During Maheshwari's tenure, nine journalists in Maharashtra Herald were promoted overnight to the posts of assistant editors. I who was of the lowest rank was of course not one of them. I did not grumble or sulk, a quality which has paid me rich dividends and also helped to hang on in my journalistic career.
It was during Dhananjay Sardeshpande tenure as editor that Maharashtra Herald shifted its office from the Sakal office in Budhwar Peth to a spacious and enviable premises at Shivajinagar. In 2008 Maharashtra Herald turned Sakal Times and soon the newspaper faced crisis of recession and also the misfortune of closure of its office in New Delhi and a severe backlash. The crisis also saw departure of Sardeshpande and emergence of Amitabh Dasgupta as the editor.
The 16 year old history of Maharashtra Herald and Sakal Times saw many editors, Anand Agashe, Pradumna Maheshwari, Dhananjay Sardeshpande, Amitabh Dasgupta, Rahul Chandawarkar, Rohit Chandavarkar and Madhav Gokhale in that order . Perhaps I am the only journalists in this 16 year period who has served under all these stalwarts.
I was appalled and very scared when one of the editors in Sakal Times axed many senior journalists the old wood as he called them with just a few hours notice. Having crossed 50, I then somehow managed to save my skin and was fortunate to have gracefully retired from the service and later also given extension in various capacities.
In the 2008 recession, the Sakal group did not retrench anyone but like other newspapers had imposed salary cut on those having more than Rs 20,000 salary per month.
Was I happy in my career in Maharashtra Herald and Sakal Times which concluded just yesterday ?
Those who served in this newspaper have some fond and some not so fond memories. In the 16 year old tenure in the Sakal Media Group, I thoroughly enjoyed my job as it had best of both the worlds of reporting as well as of the desk work.
In my unique designation, I was not called to be in the field as a reporter but was free to right news stories with my bylines. Normally desk persons don’t indulge in writing stories or articles. Assistant Editor Subhash Abooj encouraged me to write several middle articles and or the edit page of Sakal Times. These writings have served as the draft materials for the numerous articles I am presently writing in Marathi for portals like Aksharnama and my recently published book in Marathi on journalism, Badalati Patrakarita .
It was Sakal Times Editor Rahul Chandawarkar who promoted me a few years back as assistant editor and later also as chief of the news bureau. Believe me that was the only promotion for me in my four decades long career ! Rahul Sir also increased my wages in proportions no other editor had done in my case in the past .
It was during Rahul Chandavarkar's tenure as editor that I got an opportunity to work for Gomantak Times, Sakal Media Groups publication in Goa. I was with the Sakal Times team in Goa on the day when Pope Francis canonised Goa's son Joseph Vaz in Sri Lanka. That time, travelling on photographer Atish Naik bike, I had visited ancestral home of Joseph Vaz at Sancoale. That story with my byline was published an anchor next day both in Gomantak Times and Sakal Times.
I remember Atish was shocked when I told that in 1980s we took a break journey at Aggassaim and travelled in ferryboat to Cortalim to take another bus to Margao or Vasco. That time, there was no Zuari bridge !
As if to compensate for the raw deal given to me in the past, I was almost pampered in Sakal Times for the last three years. I went on several business beat junkets flying regularly for Mercedes Benz and other events to New Delhi and also for some sports events in Kolkata.
The most memorable event at the fag end of my career was the 10 day tour of Thailand in January 2017 where I represented Sakal Times at an international media conference.
I have worked with a hundreds of journalists who are now placed in important, reputed newspapers. Maharashtra Herald or Sakal Times has been hailed as a school of journalism. Not many of these journalists may remember me or my exact role in the newspaper because I was never a team leader nor held any important post.
During the 16 year long period, I also had the time and peace of mind to write a few books in English and Marathi. The small wages also enabled me to undertake a three weeklong family vacation in Europe in 2012.
As is the Sakal Media Group practice, after my retirement in August 2017, I was felicitated by Sakal Media Group Chairman Prataprao Pawar Sir during Sakal anniversary celebrations on January 1. Photo of me along with PGP Sir, Shriram Pawar Sir and others was published prominently in Sakal the next day. The large circulation of Sakal in Pune had then led to many calls to me, causing me much embarrassment about my retirement !
After my retirement three years back, thanks to Rohit Sir and Shriram Pawar Sir, I was immediately given an extension to work in the SILC at Baner Road, a role I immensely enjoyed and also the beautiful SILC surrounding .
Then two years back, Rohit Chandavarkar Sir asked to me again to report for Sakal Times from Pimpri Chinchwad. I was once again a field reporter, albeit a stringer a job which I held till yesterday. This was the most enjoyable reporting period of my career .It was like leading a new life..
Now I have just packed my belongings, a few books, from my desk in Pimpri Chinchwad Sakal office, logged out myself pcamil for the last time and returned home.. ..
Oh, what a feeling...
But on the whole, there are so many fond memories and not many regrets....
o
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