Love’s labour not lost!

Not relinquishing to the wishes and thoughts of many, VPL (Vijayananda Printers Limited) is all set to launch its new venture ‘Times of India’ (Kannada) from January 17, 2007. At last the much awaited experiment has been shown a vent, ushering in a new era in the history of Kannada Journalism. Translation is not new to either Kannada Journalism or Journalists, as they have been doing it since its/their inception. But the present venture with its own set of limitations would be one of the candid endeavours in Kannada Journalism and testimonious to the period of experimentation.
Ahead of its official launch on January 17, 2007, the management and the staff had arranged for a pooja on the sidelines of Sankranthi at their office premises. News Editor Thimmappa Bhat explained in brief the launching of the edition. Honouring the hard efforts of the staff, the Vijaya Karnataka Editor Vishweshwar Bhat acknowledged the support and wishes on behalf of Vijaya Karnataka. VPL President Chinnen Das, Times of India (Kannada) Editor Venkatanarayan, Senior Journalists from Vijay Times and the staff of all sections were present on the occasion.
The ebullient launch pooja was indeed interspersed with some of the major hands chosen from other leading kannada dailies like Kannada Prabha and television media, etc. The vernal team at Kannada Prabha, under the pioneering guidance of Ranganath, was one of the reputed fleet of journalists. But the publication marked with sudden and unexpected attrition and demise of Executive Editor Sadashiva, doyen of the YNK time journos, now have to concentrate on team building.
Remarks made by ‘Intellectuals’ at a private function in Mysore, on the present venture provided fodder for the murmuration among the crowd. But many regarded it as a kind of publicity for the new born baby. Of course the comments by the ‘Intellectuals’ was contrary to their left inclined ideologies. It was Raymond Williams, I intuit, in his work ‘Culture and Society’ suggested that if your culture void of accepting changes at the prospering level should no longer remain as culture. In fact that sounds true here. Like the way they encourage experiments in theatre and writing, they must also applaud experimenting efforts of Kannada Journalism. If not the ‘Intellectuals’, then who can. Oh no! Reader is the real Prabhu. Times of India (Kannada) is not meant for the ‘Intellectuals’ but for a general reader. However if applicable they too can read it.