Report: Shodhan Prasad
Dubai, Nov 17: A group of freelance professional journalists of Karnataka in UAE recently met to discuss their role and at the same time honoured the visit of very famous criminal investigative reporter Vijayalakshmi Shibaroor in Dubai. The brief programme was held at Fortune Plaza Hotel, Al Ghusais on Friday November 13 at 11 am and concluded at 2.30 pm with sumptuous lunch.
The programme was presided over by Sarvotham Shetty, president of Abu Dhabi Karnataka Sangha and Praveen Shetty of Fortune Group of hotels. Along with them, chief guest Vijayalakshmi Shibaroor shared the dais as Vinay Naik who initiated the meet welcomed them on the stage with his imitable style.
Vinay Naik invited Sarvotham Shetty to do the honours for the welcome speech who in his welcome note cited the importance of those journalists from Karnataka in UAE who report the happenings of Karnataka based programmes in UAE dedicatedly and timely. He also stressed that these people who do this thankless job indeed need to be highlighted as they are the ones who show to the world the importance of happenings with mere click of their fingers in seconds. Further he appealed to the organisers of various programmes in UAE to honour these journalists well in advance during the programme. Later Praveen Shetty highlighted the role of journalists in UAE. He also mentioned that there are certain limitations in reporting news here unlike in India or elsewhere.
Later Vinay invited and introduced all the journalists and media representatives to Vijayalakshmi. Ramesh Suvarna, Prashant Nair, Sudhakar Thumbe, Canute Kelarai, Niyaz, Deepak, Ganesh Rai, Manohar Thonse, Prakash Payyar, Raviraj Shetty, Vivek, Irshad Moodabidri, Vijay Shetty, Iqbal Uchila, Rafiq Kolpe, Herman Lewis, Sandhya and Shodhan were introduced and they individually welcomed Vijayalakshmi with a rose.
Soon Vinay invited Shodhan Prasad one of the senior journalist/social worker to share his views on his initial reporting in UAE while there were very few websites and newspapers. Shodhan in the given time briefed them on how he with his fellow friend Sujay Bendore used to travel to different parts of UAE and cover the events for daijiworld and other websites inspite of various difficulties they used to face logistically. He also mentioned the special page of Udayavani for people from the Gulf and how the reports appeared there. He also recalled the initiated selfless work they dedicatedly performed without any monetary gains and with a handful of people that later gave birth to a large group who again carried the job with like minded interest.
Manohar Thonse, a writer literate whose reports and ariticles used to flash in some of the leading newspapers of Karnataka was invited to share his thoughts. Manohar stressed that the knowledge of literature is of immense importance in order to be a complete journalist. He explained that a real journalist needs to take on the challenging role with investigative information and only then share their reports. He added that the reports should not be limitted to events alone but they must also cover other socio folk festivities and activities.
Dramatist, writer/poet Prakash Rao Payyar spoke on the role of 'Sanskriti' in journalism. He said that according to him media reports should not be limitted to programmes conducted alone but they also should contain views of the reporter in the concluding paragraph so that they can highlight the importance of improving the event.
Later poet writer Irshad Moodabidri, who was recently honoured by Karnataka Sangha Abu Dhabi, expressed his views about Vijayalakshmi Shibaroor in a poetic way.
Vinay then invited radio media stalwart Herman Lewis to share his views on journalism in UAE. Herman while responding to the views of earlier speakers said that one has to blame the journalists themselves for not keeping up their values, as most of the time people take them for granted. He pointed out 'why media people are not compensated' while all other professionals are paid for their job. He mentioned that media people need to maintain their values and see that they are honoured for their selfless job which otherwise goes thankless.
Vibrant crime reporter Vijayalakshmi Shibaroor honoured Vinay invited Ganesh Rai, former president of Sharjah Karnataka Sangha to do the honours of felicitating the famous vibrant crime reporter Vijayalakshmi Shibaroor who was on a personal visit to Dubai.
Ganesh Rai read out the felicitation note while Vijayalakshmi was honoured with a shawl and presented a flower bouquet, fruits, memento and felicitation letter in honour of her brave work in exposing criminals through her crime investigative programmes in TV channels she has served so far.
In return for the felicitation, Vijayalakshmi spoke on her rough road to success which involved the hurdles of passing through all hardships, covering her emotions, passing through difficult times, breathtaking adventures, sleepless nights, innumerable threats to life, sacrificing family life, de-motivation in return for sincerity, unlawful defamations etc, which were her thorny roads to success and which shaped her into a strong and brave lady. Her story boosted the journalists at the premise who accepted her as a role model.
While citing examples of her live breathtaking sting operations and current experience in her day to day media life, she also briefed them on how she was brought up, how the flame of fighting against crime developed in her, how she once wanted to become a sanyasin following Swamy Vivekanandas principles and how he changed her direction into becoming a journalist and finally how she opted for criminal investigative journalism to become someone different from the rest of the lot in this field.
The iron lady from Kateel has now become a terror for criminal minded ministers, looters, bootleggers, notorious gangsters etc and because of her criminal investigative exposure through the television media, there seems to be some positive decline in the day to day immoral activities especially in Karnataka. She is never afraid of her life and puts her soul into her work which she thoroughly enjoys. She is thankful to her family especially her husband for being so understanding in her real life journalism.
There were questions from the audience for which she cheerfully replied to one by one with interesting answers.
Her story gave a moral boost to all those who witnessed the programme and which indeed was a proud moment specially for the freelance group of Kannadiga journalists to share in. Her fighting instinct still reflects in her eyes and will surely take her to greater heights. We need many Vijayalakshmis in this fight against corruption and crime, but sad to hear that currently very few come forward in this fight.
The programme concluded with a vote of thanks by Vivek and with a sumptuous buffet lunch.