Glorious Times of Andhra Patrika – Reminiscences: 3
P.A. Rama Rao
Joining the Hyderabad branch office of Andhra Patrika as a Teleprinter Operator, following an unexpected job offer, changed the course of my life. Until then, my ambition was to secure a government job. But my association with Andhra Patrika transformed that goal and inspired me to become a journalist at any cost.
In those days, Andhra Patrika was published exclusively from Madras (No. 7, Thambuchetty Street), and its Hyderabad office at Boggulakunta functioned as an important centre for news gathering and transmission.
The present generation may find it difficult to believe some of the incidents and experiences of those days. But they offer a fascinating glimpse into the glorious era of Andhra Patrika and the extraordinary respect journalists commanded in public life.
I worked for Andhra Patrika for nearly four years, from 1958 until the end of 1961. When I joined, I was a young, inexperienced rural lad, and I was overwhelmed by the stature and respect enjoyed by journalists. What I witnessed during those formative years left an indelible impression on me.
Several political leaders, including Ministers, the Chief Minister and other prominent personalities, frequently visited the Patrika office and interacted with Bureau Chief P.V.R. Sarma garu and senior journalist B. Nageshwar Rao garu.
Chief Minister D. Sanjeevaiah garu himself used to visit the office and hold discussions with Sarma garu. On certain occasions, he even sought the advice of Editor Shivalenka Shambhu Prasad garu in Madras through the Teleprinter.
Whenever a dignitary visited our office, we would immediately send a message to the Editor through the Teleprinter, informing him of the visitor. The Editor, in turn, would send a courteous message greeting the dignitary and thanking him for visiting the office. Such was the importance attached to even a courtesy call in those days.
The Ministers and even the Chief Minister travelled in a single Ambassador car, accompanied by just one gunman. There were no motorcades or elaborate security arrangements. On some occasions, Sarma garu would accompany the Chief Minister in the same car.
Both Sarma garu and Nageshwar Rao garu enjoyed remarkably cordial relations with Ministers and senior political leaders. They would speak to Ministers over the telephone, and Sarma garu had direct access to the Chief Minister as well. If Sanjeevaiah garu happened to be occupied when Sarma garu called, the Chief Minister would return the call later.
What surprised me even more was the affection the Chief Minister showed towards me. Whenever he visited our office, he would walk up to me, speak to me warmly and place his hand on my shoulder. For a young Teleprinter Operator like me, such personal attention from the Chief Minister was both humbling and unforgettable.
BNR garu would introduce me to visiting dignitaries as the “lifeline of Andhra Patrika”, since the Teleprinter was then the principal and practically the only means of transmitting news to the Madras headquarters. That description gave me a sense of importance and responsibility, despite being at the lowest rung of the newsroom hierarchy.
A Chief Minister’s Affection
I vividly remember an occasion when Sarma garu invited Chief Minister Sanjeevaiah garu for lunch at his residence. He also invited BNR garu and me to join them.
We all enjoyed lunch in the traditional manner, sitting on a mat and eating together. There was no dining table or buffet arrangement. It was a simple, homely meal, but the experience remains etched in my memory because of the warmth and informality with which the Chief Minister mingled with us.
Another incident remains equally memorable. When Sanjeevaiah garu visited the Patrika office in May 1960, Nageshwar Rao garu informed him that I had passed my PUC examination while studying at an evening college. The results had been announced only a few days earlier.
The Chief Minister patted me on the back and appreciated my efforts to pursue higher education while working. As he was leaving, he mentioned that he wanted my PUC textbooks because his wife wished to appear for the examination.
The following day, the Chief Minister’s Personal Assistant arrived at our office on a bicycle and collected the books from me. It was a small incident, but it demonstrated the simplicity, accessibility and personal warmth of the political leadership of that era.
When Journalism Protected an Official
One more incident illustrates the influence and credibility enjoyed by journalists like Sarma garu.
Around 1960 or 1961, when K. Brahmananda Reddy garu was Chief Minister, the Government appointed a high-level committee on Administrative Reforms. Sarma garu managed to obtain the committee’s recommendations in their entirety, and Andhra Patrika prominently published the report.
The disclosure created a sensation within the Government. The authorities suspected that an Assistant Secretary was responsible for leaking the confidential report and suspended him from service.
The unfortunate official approached Sarma garu and explained what had happened. He was almost in tears. In those days, suspension from service was considered a serious stigma and a major blow to an official’s reputation.
Sarma garu immediately contacted the Chief Minister and told him in Telugu: “Nenu eppudu yenugu kumbhasthalanne kodatha gani, chinna vati daggaraku ponu.”
In essence, he meant that he always obtained important information from the highest sources and never depended on lower-level officials.
Sarma garu then requested the Chief Minister to revoke the suspension, making it clear that the official should not be made a scapegoat for the publication of the report. The Chief Minister responded positively, and the suspension was revoked.
For me, this was yet another powerful lesson in the stature of a journalist who commanded the confidence of the highest political authority while also standing up for an individual who had been unfairly implicated.
These experiences profoundly influenced my thinking. I began to realise that journalism was not merely a profession but a calling that carried immense responsibility, public respect and the power to make a difference.
That realisation strengthened my determination to pursue journalism seriously. I enrolled in evening colleges and continued my education, eventually completing my PUC, B.A., LL.B. and M.A. qualifications. In many ways, Andhra Patrika had not merely given me a job; it had given me a new goal and direction in life.
The Financial Reality Behind the Prestige
While recalling the enormous respect journalists enjoyed in those days, it would be incomplete not to mention their financial circumstances. Professional prestige did not necessarily translate into financial comfort.
Our salaries were paid on the seventh of every month. Towards the end of almost every month, both Sarma garu and BNR garu would borrow small amounts from Shivanarayana, the Hyderabad newspaper agent of Andhra Patrika. They would ask the office attendant, Venkatachalam, to collect Rs. 20 or Rs. 25 and repay it once their salaries arrived.
I, too, would occasionally borrow Rs. 5 or Rs. 10 and return it after receiving my salary. In those days, even five rupees was considered a substantial amount.
Looking back, it is remarkable that journalists who enjoyed such access to Chief Ministers, Ministers and other influential personalities often struggled to manage their monthly expenses.
That contrast perhaps best captures the times we lived in: journalism commanded enormous respect, its practitioners enjoyed extraordinary access and influence, but the profession offered little financial security.
For a young man who entered Andhra Patrika as a Teleprinter Operator with the modest ambition of securing a government job, those four years became the foundation of a lifelong journey. The memories remain precious, not merely because of the personalities I encountered, but because they taught me what journalism could mean at its finest.
