As the restrictive regime unfolds

This scribe would never feel pressured to act a certain way or another and get succumbed. He would not even try to get accepted or approved by you for the wrong reason, either. Upright in his own way, he is the one who stands up taller, and poles apart from the tribe of timid journos.

Being on the frontlines of the fight for the people of Andhra Pradesh, betrayed by the architects of the state reorganization that left the residuary state without a capital for over a decade, he often found himself caught in the crossfire with the principal political parties locked in a no-holds-bar fight for hegemony in the political landscape.

What made him different from the rest was his strong belief in the liberty to know, to speak out  and to argue freely according to conscience. This is precisely what English poet John Milton demanded more than 350 years ago. This undying craving for freedom of speech and liberty to express one’s point of view had increasingly made the world dangerous place for journalists.

Andhra Pradesh, in case of the likes of Gopi Dara, has of late proved to be no exception to it. As the Chief of Bureau (COB) of a mainstream national English daily, he has made a mark for himself for his objective approach in political reporting. As he left the office a bit early on Friday, his colleagues had the impression that he had just taken a break from his computer key board to take his family to the provision store. But when something else began circulating in media circles, nobody had believed it.

He received a telephone call from his Mumbai office and was directed to hand over the charge to his junior. The change of guard in the reporting wing of the English daily was intended to placate political bosses scheduled to assume office in the next morning. Barely 12 hours before TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu was sworn in as the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, Gopi had to make way for a new incumbent, who was obviously tipped for the seat by the new party back in power in the state.  

A change of media heads at the regional level is not so unusual with a new political party coming to power as far as the vernacular media houses are concerned, But much to the dismay of the entire fraternity of journalists, even the management of a national daily with a pan-Indian presence also played the same game so as to be fully assured of the patronage of the new government. The media houses are today bereft of the uncompromising quality of yesteryears.
Beware, friends, it may be your turn tomorrow.