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SH. R.K KAK & Sh. N L WATTAL, JOURNALISTS || UNSUNG & UNWEPT HEROES || LIVE IMAGE |
Sh.
R K KAK and Sh. N L WATTAL , started their career as JOURNALISTS and
continued with it till their last breath lasting 5 -6 decades in both the
cases. Sh. KAK became the local correspondent for the then prestigious
National Newspaper “the STATESMAN” and Sh. WATTAL, joined the then
prestigious newspaper of the valley “THE HAMDARD” under the editor
and founder of Modern Journalism Sh. PREM NATH BAZAZ.This was at a
time when struggle for FREEDOM from autocratic Dogra Maharaja was gaining momentum.
Both
Sh. KAK and Sh. WATTAL were well educated according to those times and
could have landed Government. jobs with slight effort.but they chose journalism
which was neither glamorous nor paying those days. With their continued
presence in the profession the freedom fighters whose leaders became the
successive Chief ministers built a good rapport with these . While Sh. KAK was
helping them in publicity at the National level ,Sh. WATTAL was helping
them locally with their “PEN”. Their sincerity and honesty towards
the profession was being appreciated by the Maharaja’s government.
Come
1947 , with the dawn of AWAMI RAJ the floodgates of corruption and
mismanagement became the order of the day. In fairness to the new regime both
Sh. KAK and Sh. WATTAL were offered plum bureaucratic jobs but both refused and
prefeed to be journalists. Both were quite near to seat of power because of
their old acquaintances with the rulers but they never threw weight. They had
no personal agendas neither nor themselves nor for their families. Bereft of
having ambitions and eye for the luxurious life they walked with their heads up
and with a straight spine. Nobody would see them waiting at the residences of
Ministers or in the corridors of power for appointments.
With
the dawn of Awami Raj , the KASHMIRI PANDIT community started feeling badly
treated being deprived of their share in the employment and being
neglected for the professional studies of their children .based on merit.But
the problem of the community was they didn’t have a powerful leader who would
plead their case in the administration. There were innumerable leaders having
their own personal agendas rather for the community. The community approached
both Sh. KAK and Sh. WATTAL for support of their problems. They told the
community that though they were with them for their genuine problems and
grievances They had their limitations in their profession.
Both
Sh. KAK and Sh. WATTAL upheld the 3 “F”s ——– FREE, FRANK
& FEARLESS, of journalism to their last breath , yet they never begged for
recognition.Both of them were patient listeners and never gave unwanted
suggestions. At social gatherings they never talked SHOP. They would feel
embarrassed if somebody would praise them at such gatherings.
THERE
HEADSUP ATTITUDE AND STRAIGHT SPINE WAS NOT ACCEPTABLE TO THE SUCCESSIVE
RULERS . THE COMMUNITY FELT THEY DID NOT HELP THEM IN SOLVING THEIR PROBLEMS
AND GRIEVANCES. THEY WANTED THEM TO BE THEIR SPOKESMEN
TO
SUM UP BOTH SH.KAK &SH WATTAL, HAILING FROM RAINAWARI LIVING ON THE
BANKS OF DAL LAKE TRIBUTARY, WERE IGNORED NOT ONLY BY THE SUCCESSIVE
STATE GOVERNMENTS BUT ALSO BY THEIR OWN COMMUNITY.
V.K. WATTAL
(Feedback at: vkwattal1234@gmail.com )
The writer is NCR/UP based and a regular contributor to this Website.
