I had the opportunity to be a part of various Prime Minister’s press team including Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, P V Narasimha Rao and V P Singh during their travel.
1. Tell us about your background and journey.
I started writing from 5th standard. I had little or no friends at school. But used to roam around publishing houses and started writing children’s stories and articles in magazines from that age. When I was in 7th standard my first translation novel was serialised in a magazine and in standard 9 first book was published.
As I studied in Kottayam which was a main publishing centre in India with largest book publishing Co operative SPCS and book publishers like DC Books and largest circulated newspapers like’ Malayala Manorama’ and ‘The Week’ were headquartered.
More than 200 printing presses existed in that period in Kottayam town which is called the “city of letters” and every street had a weekly magazine publisher. When I joined college, I studied English Language and Literature and worked for various newspapers on part-time assignments as a reporter and did editing jobs.
Travelled all over India, even up to Attari check post on Pakistan border. I used to write on anything and even wrote a book when Pakistan President Bhutto was assassinated which was an instant hit.
I won a test of the Kerala Public Service Commission and got a government job while studying in MA class. It was in the Police administration department. But I continued studies on loss of pay leave till I finished MA. I got an award from Punjab Modern Academy of Fine Arts and visited Amritsar to receive the award from then Punjab Governor in 1979.
I won a test of the Kerala Public Service Commission and got a government job while studying in MA class. It was in the Police administration department. But I continued studies on loss of pay leave till I finished MA. I got an award from Punjab Modern Academy of Fine Arts and visited Amritsar to receive the award from then Punjab Governor in 1979.
Then I received a Telegram from a prominent Malayalam daily to join as sub-editor and I resigned from my government job and joined Deepika daily in 1980. Later I got a transfer to Trivandrum and in 1985 I was posted as Bureau Chief in New Delhi.
In 1983 when Mahatma Gandhi University was formed I was appointed as a member of the Senate of the University. In 1997 I was selected for a fellowship for journalists by KK Birla Foundation of the Hindustan Times group.
I had the opportunity to be a part of various Prime Minister’s press team including Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, P V Narasimha Rao and V P Singh during their travel. Accompanied Narasimha Rao to Mauritius when that country was declared a Republic.
I served as a member of the Central Board of Film Certification in New Delhi and taught Journalism in various institutes and Universities along with my career. After returning to Kerala from Delhi I edited an international magazine on Ayurveda called “Global Ayurveda”.
I worked for Sunday Mail, Midday and worked as a business journalist and political journalist for several publications in English and Malayalam.
I served as a member of the Central Board of Film Certification in New Delhi and taught Journalism in various institutes and Universities along with my career. After returning to Kerala from Delhi I edited an international magazine on Ayurveda called “Global Ayurveda”.
I worked for Sunday Mail, Midday and worked as a business journalist and political journalist for several publications in English and Malayalam.
Meanwhile wrote 24 books in both languages including the first critical study about Arundhati Roy’s “The God of Small Things” and a book on stock trading titled, ‘Avoid Loss in Intraday Trading’. My best book is the political satire ‘Frauds in the Pond’ which is about the media and politics in India.
2. What is your opinion about press freedom in India?
Of late Journalism has become a mockery and Press freedom has become a limited concept as the majority of the journalists are inclined towards favouritism and personal growth than ethical journalism. There is no competition among journalists for newsgathering.
2. What is your opinion about press freedom in India?
Of late Journalism has become a mockery and Press freedom has become a limited concept as the majority of the journalists are inclined towards favouritism and personal growth than ethical journalism. There is no competition among journalists for newsgathering.
They move in clusters and could be ‘bought’ in bulk. In Inda’s history never such governmental interference in press reports and journalistic activities has taken place. Threatening journalists and curtailing press freedom has never taken place in India like what is happening now.
3. Who is your favourite journalist and why?
Rajdeep Sar Desai for resisting ‘purchase’ options and standing Independent.
4. What do you think about the quality of journalism in India and how can it be improved?
Till 1989 Press in India was strong. But then a new culture of offers and purchase of Journalists started. A party which had only 2 MPs then offered apartments for Journalists in Delhi using money from businessmen and many journalists accepted due to financial problems.
3. Who is your favourite journalist and why?
Rajdeep Sar Desai for resisting ‘purchase’ options and standing Independent.
4. What do you think about the quality of journalism in India and how can it be improved?
Till 1989 Press in India was strong. But then a new culture of offers and purchase of Journalists started. A party which had only 2 MPs then offered apartments for Journalists in Delhi using money from businessmen and many journalists accepted due to financial problems.
They started taking sides in reporting to promote the party till it got hundreds of seats. The quality of Journalism in India has become so poor that readers no more trust channels and turn to social media to learn facts.
The quality can be improved by training new generation journalists against corruption in Journalism itself. Standing firm against temptations of money and writing truth without political, religious and social compulsions.
5. What is your message to all aspiring journalists?
Journalism is a profession for the selected ones. Not because you got admission to a journalism class. Never get tempted by offers from politicians or businessmen. You must be ready to suffer for a better cause.
6. If you could interview one famous person, who would that be and why?
Dr Man Mohan Singh. He knows much better about present-day India than the people now running the show and (2) Arundhati Roy- the Booker prize winner whose books are taught in universities all over the World, the self-made lady who ran away from home at the age of 16 from Kerala to Delhi and lived in a slum till she got the world’s greatest prize for fiction.
7. Which is your favourite book and why?
‘The God of Small Things’ by Arundhati Roy. It is biographical plus rule-breaking fiction in Indian English fiction writing.
- Joseph Mathew (Journalist & Novelist)
LinkedIn: Joseph Mathew
The quality can be improved by training new generation journalists against corruption in Journalism itself. Standing firm against temptations of money and writing truth without political, religious and social compulsions.
5. What is your message to all aspiring journalists?
Journalism is a profession for the selected ones. Not because you got admission to a journalism class. Never get tempted by offers from politicians or businessmen. You must be ready to suffer for a better cause.
6. If you could interview one famous person, who would that be and why?
Dr Man Mohan Singh. He knows much better about present-day India than the people now running the show and (2) Arundhati Roy- the Booker prize winner whose books are taught in universities all over the World, the self-made lady who ran away from home at the age of 16 from Kerala to Delhi and lived in a slum till she got the world’s greatest prize for fiction.
7. Which is your favourite book and why?
‘The God of Small Things’ by Arundhati Roy. It is biographical plus rule-breaking fiction in Indian English fiction writing.
- Joseph Mathew (Journalist & Novelist)
LinkedIn: Joseph Mathew
Interviewed By Pratibha Sahani
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ReplyDelete"Frauds in the Pond" is a novel that laughs at the backstage scenes of Journalism and Politics
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