My Dear Sir…

 

 

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.

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 the 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. That is the second opinion.

My endless regards to you, sir!