There
are good days and there are bad days. There are days with high adrenalin rush,
like when you gonna break news!! The search for leads, the chase is indeed
exciting.
Yes,
a day such as waiting for “ulfa leaders” to arrive Delhi. Hopping from domestic to international airport,
to capture the first glimpse. To get ‘exclusive ‘ first quotes and interviews ,
if lucky !! It was an anxious moment. Never seen them in “real life”, will I
recognise the leader? Who’s who? What would be my question?
Lo,
there is that Lady National Tv reporter who got impatient and asked one of the
NE reporter “ can you find out ( call up)
when are they are arriving ?” we glance each other, Blank ! uh ..umm.. the guy murmured ....Who does
she thinks she is waiting ? Does she know who’s arriving? I thought, if it were
so easy ( if we knew) will we be running around and standing ( hungry and lost) for such
long hours? .. At the end of the day, we didn’t get to capture them, still it
was a high day .
And
that cold January night, waiting for Isak Swu and Muivah to arrive. Listening
to their high voltage speech, noting it down in detail. It gets late and the clock tick, but you make
it for the next day news. What a memory.
By
the way, one hour doesn’t seem a long wait at the reception for that
“exclusive” appointment at the MHA while back hope awaits your “exclusive news”.
Covering a highly charged political rally too were in-fact a charged up
moments.
Moreover, when your write -up articles comes out and people acknowledged you and tells you that it was a good one ! that's an ecstasy !
The Highs can be Low at the drop
of hat!
You got a breaking news and there is no publication back home, such as
when student leaders from Nagaland announced suspending their
60-days-long economic blockade of National Highways , I eagerly sent the
breaking news, only to be told that a decision was taken ( the same day) to halt publications indefinitely, due to "militant's constant interference"
Yes
, not all is so exciting! one of the hardest thing to report is about rape or alleged rape and murder. Not again , I used to lament
! the sad part is ( those cases related to NE women) even your own Journo friends would call up and say they want to get a "byte " fromt the victim !! ..can you
help - arrange an interview ? ....No, sorry.
OMG,
interview rape victim ? that’s the last thing I wanted to do ( and that's the last thing I will do) . That’s something
I just do not have the courage.
I
can understand, rape is a sensational case (more so if it involves a NE woman) so all the more
it generate interest, and everybody, irrespective of profession, community, class, wanted to know more about the "rape" , many a times the "queries and inquiries" had to be shortened as “I don’t know the details”
as most of the time the information sought were “ is the victim from your place ? Which
tribe / community ? is she working ? with whom does she stay / lives with and the ..blah.. blah follows ”
And
there are times one goes beyond mere “reporting” extending help in ways possible.
Many a times ended up in accompaniment services and solidarity. Many public
events ( such as rally, demonstration ) rather than the “public” the media were
often “mobilized” ( especially when there
is not much “public” response, i believe ) and yes ,
I often become a participant and a reporter (and an observer) !
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