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जब एक संपादक ने एक नेता से अपनी मित्रता जगज़ाहिर की

आमतौर पर ऐसा देखने के नहीं मिलता कि एक पत्रकार सार्वजनिक तौर पर एक पॉलिटीशियन से अपनी मित्रता को स्वीकार करे। दोनों का रिश्ता ही कुछ है। पत्रकार औऱ नेता दो विपरीत ध्रुवों पर खड़े दिखायी देते हैं। लोग ऐसा मानते हैं कि दोनो की सार्वजनिक दोस्ती एक दूसरे के लिए खतरनाक हो सकती है।

आमतौर पर ऐसा देखने के नहीं मिलता कि एक पत्रकार सार्वजनिक तौर पर एक पॉलिटीशियन से अपनी मित्रता को स्वीकार करे। दोनों का रिश्ता ही कुछ है। पत्रकार औऱ नेता दो विपरीत ध्रुवों पर खड़े दिखायी देते हैं। लोग ऐसा मानते हैं कि दोनो की सार्वजनिक दोस्ती एक दूसरे के लिए खतरनाक हो सकती है।

लेकिन सांध्य दैनिक 'स्टार ऑफ़ मैसूर' के मुख्या संपादक केबी गणपति को एचएस शंकरलिंगे गौड़ा से अपनी मित्रता को सार्वजनिक रूप से स्वीकारने में कोई गुरेज़ नहीं है। मैसूर की चमाराजा सीट से लगातार चार बार बीजेपीके विधायक और मैसूर के भूतपूर्व मेयर रहे शंकरलिंगे गौड़ा(67) गत रविवार इस दुनिया को हमेशा के लिए अलविदा कह गए।

अपने मित्र की याद में लिखे श्रद्धांजलि लेख में गणपति बताते हैं कैसे उनकी और शंकरलिंगे गौड़ा कि मित्रता हुई और समय के साथ वे कैसे गहरे मित्र बने। गणपति बताते हैं कैसे उनकी सलाहों से शंकरलिंगे गौड़ा को अपने शुरूआती राजनितिक जीवन में लाभ हुआ और कैसे शंकरलिंगे गौड़ा ने उनकी मुसीबत के समय मदद की। एक पत्रकार औऱ नेता की दोस्ती में ऐसा खुलापन औऱ उसकी स्वीकारोक्ति बहुत कम देखने को मिलती है।

पढ़िए केबी गणपति का अपने मित्र कि याद में लिखा श्रद्धांजलि लेख।  

By K.B. GANAPATHY
 
It was 1979; Star of Mysore was into its second year of publication from its office in Saraswathipuram near Kamakshi Hospital.

One afternoon, a young, lean, tall man, neatly dressed with his shirt tucked into his pants held in by a leather belt, wearing specs with thin plastic frame, came to my desk hesitantly wanting to discuss an incident to be published.

He was an angry young man. There was clarity in his speech and honesty in his voice.

The officer in charge of issuing cement permits in those days of scarcity and license-permit Raj at the divisional commissioner’s office was partial and corrupt, he said and wanted the paper to expose him.

He had come to me after creating a scene at the office with the support of the disappointed permit-seekers. I grabbed the opportunity and published the story with his picture.

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Lo and behold, a leader was made.
 
Having been a journalist in Bombay, I knew every leader would have his detractors. Soon, I was fed with information about his antecedents, specially as a manager in the Janata Bazar. But I knew there was not much truth in it.

He was already into poultry business with his unit at Martikyatanahalli on Bogadi road, eight km from city. He was staying with his family in his own house near our office. His name was H.S. Shankaralinge Gowda.

And soon we became very close friends.
 
The first quality I found in him was his helping nature. Second quality was his societal concern. The third quality was his immediate reaction both in words and deeds.

To me he was a unique kind of a person. Naturally our contact blossomed into friendship. This bonding had helped both of us in succeeding in our chosen field of activity.

To cut out details, he as a politician and I as a journalist and newspaper publisher.

I remember those early days, he on his scooter and I on my motorbike, going to his farm, in the evening, to spend some ‘quality’ time enjoying boiled eggs and omelette aplenty or even a chicken fry. And he would load my motorbike’s side box with vegetables and trays of eggs on the rear seat despite my protestation.

To further strengthen our friendship, he found out a three-acre land close to his which I bought, but later sold, just as he himself did with his farm.

Again, it was at his insistence and moral support that in 1983 I built my own house at Kuvempunagar in a 60×40 site.

A dashing man of courage and confidence, I was convinced by him that I could build a house knowing that I did not have required money.

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In the meanwhile, he was wanting to become a politician, Janata Party politician. By then I had built personal rapport with the leading politicians of Janata Party in city as a journalist and through my elder brother late Dr K. B. Subbaiah.

Again rivalry and he was nowhere in the race for Corporation election ticket.

I was doing the background work no doubt, but it was his presence of mind and the way he reacted in lightning speed that enabled him to wangle a ticket from Janata Party.

One day, he was in my ‘own’ house at 7 O’clock in the morning on his scooter. By then I had a Fiat car.

I took him to the government house to meet Azeez Sait [the late Congress leader], made him speak to M.S. Gurupadaswamy [former Union minister], went to T.V. Srinivasa Rao’s house in Vidyaranyapuram where Shankaralinge Gowda’s challenger for the ticket too was there.

He gave me a sheepish smile and whispered, “what have I done to you?” in Kannada.

First I went into a huddle in a room with H. Kempe Gowda, the city president of the party, Azeez Sait and T.V. Srinivasa Rao. Gurupadaswamy did not come but had given his consent. Then I called my friend and introduced him to the party honchos.

Well, Shankaralinge Gowda never looked back.
 
It was I who advised him to change his sartorial choice immediately to that of what politicians are seen wearing. In his case, kurta and pyjama, with a stoll.

I was his political guru (and he would embarrass me by declaring it in public meetings) till he won the first MLA election from the BJP which he joined, again, at my insistence and a little help. Later, both my guruhood and friendship too faded away to the point of occasional telephone contacts.

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I recall today the timely help given to me by Shankaralinge Gowda when I had faced threat to my life and harassment by those who were upset by what was published in those early first 10 years. It was during those trying days Shankaralinge Gowda showed his sterling qualities of heart and head for a friend.

If anyone doubts the time tested saying that ‘A friend in need is a friend indeed,’ here I am to vouch for the veracity of such a saying. He was a friend who stood by me, specially on two occasions.

One, when I was harassed and threatened by one who was exposed for cheating students seeking medical college seats and two, when my life was threatened by another group taking offence to what was published connected to LTTE.

Shankaralinge Gowda may not be with us today but his memory and my days of friendship with him will always remain indelible in my memory.

Adieu my friend, goodbye.

RIP, Shankaralinge Gowda.

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