It was with a bit of shock that I read about the death of
veteran journalist Inder Malhotra about a fortnight back. Shock since it represented
a breaking of the link with the past.
In the eighties as an impressionable teenager, I grew up
reading the editorial pages of the ‘Times of India’. I cannot claim to have
understood every scholarly word written there but it certainly shaped my desire
to be a journalist. My favourite writer in those pages was Inder Malhotra. I
looked forward to his columns especially ‘Political Commentary’ which if I remember
correctly used to appear on Thursdays.
I really appreciated his quiet and understated way of writing.
That was perhaps the reason that although he was a well known and respected
journalist in political and media circles he was not quite a superstar in the
public eye. His language held me in thrall. One frequently used expression of
his was “More honoured in the breach than the observance”, which means that a
particular law is broken more often than adhered to. Subsequently, I realized
that this expression is from ‘Hamlet’ but then it captured the essence of the
man’s writing: understatement.
Another reason that I shall remember Inder Saab was his ability
to stand above the crowd. In 1989 when the media was in the midst of a frenzy
writing about the general elections which the Rajiv Gandhi led Congress (I) was
to lose, he kept writing about the deteriorating situation in Kashmir which he
said had greater ramifications than Punjab.
The rest is history.
Life’s journey has taken me from being a journalist to a communications
professional. But it has not diminished my admiration for the late journalist.
That was the reason for me ordering a copy of his book ‘Indira Gandhi: A
Personal and Political Biography’ from a well known e-commerce portal. Sure
enough delivery was promised but a few days came the message that the book was
not available and the transaction on my credit card would be reversed. It saddened
me deeply but in a way seemed to capture the essence of the man : understated but not too well known outside select circles.
RIP Inder Saab. My life will always be tinged
with the regret that I never met you.
