BY APURVA RAI
|
MANY |
of us come
across such people in our lives who would come and go, leaving an indelible
impact on us. I, too, have seen and met hundreds of people. Some would attract
me, others would influence me, and some would leave an appalling impression.
But there are two people whom I can never forget: one, my father, late Vinay
Kumar Rai, and the other, Joel C Lal, whom I regarded as none less than my
godfather. Both of them command the highest respect I can ever offer to anybody
in my personal life. A father is the role model for many of us but it is rare
to find someone who rises to the same stature. Joel Saab or Joel sir, as we
would commonly address him, too, enjoyed the same status for me.
I was left aghast when I received the message of Mr
Joel’s sudden demise. A message sent by his son Yogesh, left me speechless for
a few moments. I couldn’t imagine my professional world without Joel Saab. I
was not expecting he would go so suddenly and so soon. But the destiny is very
cruel, it snatches what you love most.
Joel Saab had called me on New Year's Eve to wish me a
Happy New Year. It was, perhaps, for the first time in the past few decades
that he called me first. I asked him why now, sir? I would have called you tomorrow
when the New Year 2026 ushers in. He promptly responded why not on New Year's
Eve itself? I happily thanked him and had some more chat for a few minutes. He
even asked me to meet him when I come to Delhi. I promised. But who knew this
would be our last conversation, and I would never get the chance to see him
again.
Today, when I reminisce about Joel Saab my memories
take me back about four decades. I first met him when I joined the PATRIOT
newspaper in New Delhi in 1987 and launched my journalistic career. Many would
not have even heard the name of the newspaper. Let me mention that the PATRIOT,
an English newspaper of national importance, was started by the country’s
foremost woman freedom fighter Aruna Asaf Ali and was located in the Link House
(now Patriot House) on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg at ITO, where many other
national newspapers were published.
Initially, I was afraid of him. A tall person with a
mature appearance would keep me very conscious throughout the shift I worked
with him. Though he would smile quite often while working, a no-nonsense
personality was enough to signal that there was no scope to take liberties. Not
everyone was comfortable with him because he had his own dos and don’ts, his
ways of doing things and his own style of working. It didn’t take me long to
bond with Joel Saab, which continued to grow stronger with the passage of time.
Perhaps I, too, had a similar personality with reservations and a way of
working.
There is no second opinion that I developed closeness
with Joel Saab; there was another person, P Sreekumaran, who influenced me
most. Sree, as we would address him, was one of the finest editors I have come
across in my life, widely respected in the journalistic world, but had his own
unique ways of doing things. I have much to discuss about him, too, but that
would come some other time.
Night shifts are most crucial in a newspaper when the
responsibility to produce the entire edition lies on the head of the shift in
charge. Joel Saab, as far as I can remember, never took leave during the night
shifts and that makes him an outstanding journalist who understood the demands
of his profession well. I can proudly say I did maximum night shifts with him and
that gave me the best learning of the profession. Joel Saab was the most
responsible person I have ever seen. Give him a task and forget about it. He
would do the complete work to your utmost satisfaction.
Those were the days when computerisation had not taken place and the news came through telex machines. Lots of patience and huge paper work was needed to keep an eye on the news flow. Joel Saab was perfectly skilled in this arduous task. Being a student of the old-style of journalism, he would follow the traditional rules while producing the newspaper. He knew where and how to place the news so that it would catch attention. He told me that our eyes travel in the Z direction; hence, the most important news items should be placed accordingly. This is not taught in any classroom, but I learnt it while working only with him.
It was not difficult to identify the pages designed by
Joel Saab. Everything will be set in the correct format and uniform fonts. I
can recall one incident when I was desk in-charge in one shift and he was on
another. I had broken the rules and designed my page using some fancy fonts at
some places and not dividing major display news items with a single-column
news. We were young, adventurous, buzzing to break the rules and experiment
with fancy designing. One such day Joel Saab caught hold of me. He opened the
newspaper and pointed out that my page didn’t have the sobriety and looked more
like ‘Nauchandi ka Mela’ (a rural fair held annually in Meerut, a city
close to Delhi in western Uttar Pradesh). On the opposite side was his page
which looked completely different. He didn’t scold me, he didn’t stop me, but
didn’t spare the chance to intervene either. I kept arguing. He gave me another
example saying do I find any difference the way people in a village dress-up
for a special occasion and the way people get ready for a special occasion in a
metropolitan city! I got the hint and learning, both. Later, I tried to control
myself whenever I felt adventurous. This was his discipline. I haven’t
forgotten it till date.
He always kept pace with the news without ever
hurrying for it. If there was a development, he would patiently watch the
situation so that even the latest and last-minute coverage was accommodated in
the newspaper. Joel Saab would take his time, wouldn’t hesitate to make
last-minute changes, if necessary, and yet finish everything within the deadline.
Working on the editorial desk of a newspaper also means you have to race
against time and bring out the Dak editions or the Late City edition within the
stipulated time. All this, not one day or two days, but every day for months
and years together. I did all this with Joel Saab and it turned out to be the
greatest learning of my career. I would stay with him till the last news is
picked up and sent for printing. Our pairing continued unfailingly as long as I
worked in the newspaper. This is no small task. You work endlessly with someone
only when you have the highest regard for him or her. I never made faces, we
never got bored with each other, never felt tired of each other and I never
felt bad when I had to overstay for some more time.
Working together, particularly on the night shifts,
brought us closer. Not only shall we work together, but would also return home
in the same car. It was Joel Saab who decided to hold me back and join him in
the vehicle that was assigned for his drop-off. This eased the dropping
arrangement and helped me reach home conveniently. What a planning it was! Good
for the organisation which had limited resources, good for others who waited impatiently
for a vehicle to get home and good for the two of us. Who would think this way nowadays?
This was another side of his personality that only a few would know, appreciate
or imbibe. This is why I saw a godfather in him, someone who cared for me,
someone who thought of me while I was in the office.
On the other side was my father. I never had to press
the call bell when I returned to my parsonage because he would be strolling on
the verandah. Any season, any day of my night shift; not one day or two, but month
after month, year after year, his routine continued uninterrupted as long as I
worked in PATRIOT. Even a few of my colleagues who sometimes joined me in the
car wondered about my father’s routine.
But these are the values. These are the values that teach you to stand strongly and firmly for someone you are deeply concerned about. I was nurtured by them, which I proudly carry even today. They will never fade except when my existence fades from this materialistic world. The WhatsApp ‘University’ or the Facebook propaganda doesn’t value these values; there is more of a show off, far from the realities of life. Perhaps this is why we are seeing huge degradation in our society.
The first lesson I learnt from Joel Saab was the true
meaning of responsibility. I worked with him for years and I don’t know when it
became a part of my personality. Not only in office work, this gradually became
part of my everyday life too.
Joel Saab was always very well dressed. Well-creased
trousers, well-ironed shirts and well-polished shoes, he was always impeccably
dressed. I never saw him coming to the office in sandals or slippers, as many
others would. We had an impression that he came by car, but it was a surprise
that he travelled in the DTC bus (Delhi Transport Corporation) and yet retained
the crease. So unlikely as Delhi’s public transportation system, then, was a
fitness test in itself. Those days, the journalists didn’t care much about fine
dressing. A pair of jeans, a kurta or a cotton shirt and a Nehru (now Modi)
jacket were enough to identify them. In
the beginning, I was also careless and dressed casually, though my father would
intervene every now and then. Like Joel Saab, he also believed your dressing
sense is your first and lasting impression. Both believed, rightly so, that a
good dress up boosts your confidence too. With the passage of time, I
understood how correct they were. Today I ask the younger ones to dress up well
and wear clothes that match the occasion.
I have worked in almost all formats of media. My
longest innings have been with the newspaper, electronic media and then the
digital media. Working the media also means you have to work in shifts, which
keep rotating every week or fortnight. The shifts never give you the chance to
settle down in personal life. Working in shifts also means following a strict
regimen so that the body clock doesn’t lose its momentum. Otherwise, your
health gets adversely affected in longer duration. Joel Saab was a perfect
example of this. He was never sleepy in the night shifts, never said he was
tired, never lost focus and never showed loss of energy while working. All
this, because he was a disciplinarian. While working late nights, some of us
would often go out for parathas, for which ITO is famous. The parathas were in
addition to the dinner that we used to order from the office canteen. I had
another habit too. The moment I reached office for the night shift I would
order omlette-slice when the tea was served for everyone. Joel Saab didn’t say
anything in the beginning. One day he intervened and said satirically, didn’t I
have lunch that day? I said, no sir, I had heartful of lunch followed by a two-hour
sleep. “Then why this omlette-slice every day and parathas around midnight
after dinner?” I said I felt hungry and feel greedy too. He advised me to
exercise control because when you are in the media, the shift system is going
to stay with you for the rest of your career. If you are not doing physical
exercises or similar activities regularly, you will fall ill sooner or later.
Today, I realise what he said was the experience of life. His food plan never
changed as long as I worked with him during the nights. During the day, he will
never eat outside stuff. Joel Saab maintained very good health and had a
fantastic, impressive personality. He was always smiling and always looked
fresh. All this became possible only because his way of life was simple but
consistent. Today I realise how important and how difficult it is to maintain
consistency. It is like ‘tapasya’ (meditation) and one who achieves it never
fails. So was Joel Saab. He never failed in his duties, in his work, in his
routine, in his responsibilities and in all other activities of life. He was
successful, he was a true journalist and on top of it, he was a great human
being.
He was assiduous. His voice would be heard, his opinion would be sought
by all, be it seniors or juniors. He was widely respected in the office and
among colleagues. He was above controversies and guided everyone who approached
him.
The respect for someone doesn’t come simply because the person is your senior or elder or enjoys a higher position in the relationship. Respect comes when you build relations, feel for someone from the core of your heart, stand like a rock, show your support and work to bring you convenience or well-being. I saw all these qualities in Joel Saab, much akin to my father. This is why I have the highest regard for my father, and him, whom I respected like a godfather. This is why my relations didn't end after I left PATRIOT, or he retired from there later. The bonding that evolved in a few years lasted our lifetime. We would talk on the phone, exchange greetings, and occasionally meet as well.
My endless regards to you, sir!
