BRP says it's an independent book written on his journalism experience throughout the years, exclusively for English readers.
Published Aug 07, 2023 | 10:00 AM ⚊ Updated Aug 12, 2023 | 10:11 AM
Veteran journalist BRP Bhaskar, whose memoirs are being released on 7 August.
Aged 91, BRP Bhaskar might be India’s senior-most practising journalist.
A tireless defender of human rights and a champion of marginalised people, Bhaskar writes for several English and Malayalam newspapers and magazines, despite his failing health and being confined to a care home in Chennai.
Born at Kayikkara near Thiruvananthapuram in 1933, Babu Rajendra Prasad Bhaskar was attracted to journalism at a young age because of his father, AK Bhaskar, a social activist, freedom fighter and journalist.
The cover of ‘The Changing Mediascape’.
BRP, as he is popularly known, began his career with Navabharatham, founded and edited by his father to propagate the values of social justice.
In 1952, BRP joined The Hindu; at that time, he was 19.
He remained there till 1958 and then moved to different media organisations of different streams — The Statesman (1959-63), Patriot (1963-66), the news agency UNI (1966-84), Deccan Herald (1984-91), and Asianet TV (1994-99).
Today, he is one of the most popular columnists in Kerala.
BRP’s semi-autobiographical book Newsroom, in Malayalam, won critical acclaim when it was published four years ago. A ringside view of the changing journalism landscape in India, the book won the Kerala Sahitya Academi Award recently. Now, he has brought out The Changing Mediascape (published by the Kerala Media Academy; ₹350), a recollection of his journalistic experiences, in English.
BRP says it’s an independent book written exclusively for English readers, with very little similarity with the Malayalam book.
Even as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin is slated to release the book at an event in Chennai on 8 September, BRP speaks about his career, the book and the changing ethos of journalism in a conversation with South First.
Q. Newsroom is already a Malayalam bestseller and has won many awards for Best Biography. Why this English book now, and what is its relevance?
A. To be frank, I was always averse to writing an autobiography, which would involve blowing my own trumpet. Whenever there were suggestions for such a book, I resisted them.
But finally, Newsroom happened because of the pressure from Madhyamam newspaper’s Editor VM Ibrahim and Madhyamam weekly Senior Editor RK Bijuraj.
They told me to write my memories in a way that revealed the hidden dramas and inner secrets of the many historical events I witnessed.
They serialised the memories weekly, and people started responding positively. I tried my best not to claim credit for things that turned out in my favour. I tried my utmost to remain dispassionate.
After DC Books published the Malayalam book, many people asked me to translate it into English. With the help of some friends, I began the translation process.
But I soon realised that Newsroom was, by and large, a book in the Kerala context. It addresses the last seven decades of Indian journalism through a Malayali viewpoint.
So I dropped the translation project and prepared this independent book with a pan-India perspective.
Q. Is it an history of Indian journalism in the last half a century?
BRP Bhaskar
A: No. I am not a historian. Dates and chronology seldom matter to me. This is, by and large, a personal recollection of the major news events of the past 50 years. On most occasions, I was a silent spectator.
To a large extent, the book involves my perceptions of issues and individuals who shaped our contemporary history. I have attempted a narrative based on a solid foundation of facts and reality. The book lacks any speculation.
Also, I never tried to engage in any twisting of the facts. I never had any tall claims about my journalism. To me, it was an extension of the liberal, secular, and inclusive values which I absorbed from my father.
Fortunately or unfortunately, I witnessed some historical events from close quarters and met some history-makers. I hope these recollections matter.
Q. How is this book relevant in today’s social context?
A. As we all know, media freedom faces enormous challenges across India. Communal outfits are trying their very best to stifle media freedom and create an atmosphere of fear.
I have seen the Emergency from close quarters. I have witnessed several challenging phases of the Indian media. So this book is an account where comparisons are possible.
You can compare the present challenges with the early instances of stifling media freedom. Individual liberty is important. I value human dignity and the right to coexist. We are duty-bound to change our collective destiny.
India must not be swallowed by communal castiest forces that fan violence.
Q. You say the book has a pan-India perspective. Who are you targeting?
A. Young journalists, journalism students, and those keen on media affairs can perhaps learn from some of the hidden aspects of the history of free India.
I have focused on the reasons behind the Kashmir conflict, the Indo-Pakistan wars, and the creation of Bangladesh.
It also gives you an impression of how journalists of that time engaged in war reporting and conflict reporting with limited means and resources.
I am also looking into the technological transformation that swept Indian media over the years. I have narrated events and issues with maximum accuracy. Faults are mine and mostly out of memory lapses, if there are faults.
Q. Last year, you celebrated the 70th anniversary of joining The Hindu and starting journalism. How do you view yourself?
A. I chose a profession of my passion and continue to engage in it. I still write — despite my hands shaking and my eyesight becoming less than perfect.
I am an average person who lived in a crucial phase of India’s history. I got opportunities to evaluate things up close. History is a mix of both positives and negatives. They will repeat in the coming years as well.
In the case of journalists of my generation, idealism attracted them to the profession. I am not against careerism.
But the career must retain its social accountability. The weaker sections are seeking justice from the media. Dalits, tribals and others on the margins need protection of the media.
We have to be secular and plural. We have to stand for the whole society.
(Corrigendum: The report earlier inadvertently said Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan would launch the book in Chennai on 7 August. It has been corrected).
