Yesterday evening I learnt of an important news about an important journalist of our times in Karnataka — Vishveshwara Bhat of Vijaya Karnataka Kannada newspaper. He resigned as its editor on Wednesday, 8th December 2010. Due to a marriage in my family that kept me busy from 2nd to 9th of December, 2010, I was merely browsing the English newspaper that was at hand easily and as such this news escaped my notice. In any case no major newspapers carried it prominently. Let it be.

Soon as I learnt of it from my Mysooru Mithra Editor Govinde Gowda last evening, the first reaction was neither surprise nor shock, for I know a faceless giant of a newspaper house like the Times of India Group, which owns Vijaya Karnataka, will do what it has done — accept Vishveshwara Bhat's resignation. No sentiments, please.

As in capitalist America “hire and fire” is the personnel policy of any corporate body driven primarily by profit. If the CEO, in this case the editor, is unable to deliver, he is out. Either he will be pressurized or persuaded or even requested (a great courtesy) to resign instead of subjecting him to the ignominy of a sack. This too will happen in extreme cases of wrongful acts. However, in the present case of Vishveshwara Bhat, knowing him as I know, this may not be the case. If so why did he resign? A million dollar question.

For an answer, I did not hazard a guess after I failed to get the reason from my editor. I simply asked him to get me Vishveshwara Bhat on phone. In these matters, nothing likes getting the truth straight from the horse's mouth as they say. Especially when the young stallion is accessible.

Since I have met Vishveshwara Bhat a couple of times personally and exchanged pleasantries as brothers of the same fraternity, it was easy talking to him without any inhibition or hesitation. On his part, he is known to be a gentleman journalist, without that air of superiority or one upmanship, a quality rare among the journalists these days, especially among those who have made it big with an aura around them like Vishveshwara Bhat.

After exchanging pleasantries, I asked: Whatever happened that you should exit at a time you are at the peak, acme?

Answer: Oh, well, it was coming. Culmination of many small incidents. It has been brewing in since about four months.

What next? was my next question. Naturally. After all, he is young at 44 and a great achiever in his given field of journalism. Success has not gone to his head in a way we see it among many of my brother journalists without half his merit and commitment to journalism. A voracious reader and a prolific writer, he indeed is a living dynamo if we look at the quality and volume of his writings. Like me he is also a great admirer of Osho Rajneesh, that occult Guru of our times. No wonder I find him unassuming in his attitude and quite transparent in conversation. Rare among the journalist-cockerels strutting around Vidhana Soudha, government offices and Ministers' houses.

Be that as it may, now to my next question, “What next?” The reaction was unlike Vishveshwara Bhat on other occasions. If he could duck the question, he would. Instead he was vacillating. I tell him that being so young this questions “What next” must be staring him in the face. He was reluctant to field my question and was saying “Yes, along with me four others too have resigned...”

The telephone connection was cut. He was travelling. I put down the phone and my editor says, “Sir, Ravi Belagere's Hai Bangalore has carried a detailed damning report on Vishveshwara Bhat's blue - eyed boy Pratap Simha and an encomium about Vishveshwara Bhat. "Good," I said and asked him to get me a copy of Hai Bangalore post haste.

In the meanwhile, call came from Vishveshwara Bhat. "Travelling, yes? Indian technology," I said and our conversation resumed from where we had left off. He said he was contemplating to pursue further education abroad. Earlier he was in England to study journalism. "Is it Harvard or Princeton in US," I asked assuming he deserved further study, if at all he needed, only in such world - class Universities. He was vague in response, mentioning about his old world England — of Cardiff and Yale — to do MBA on media etc. However, he quickly added, probably to preempt my next question, that the Management did not give him study leave and therefore... Thereafter, it was just rigmarole. He continued: Anyway, there was nothing extraordinary (Vishesa) for me to do for the paper.

Apparently, perforce, he was looking for new adventure. I told him of what I heard about the Founder of Vijaya Karnataka, who had sold it to Times of India Group, that he was once again starting a new Kannada paper tentatively called Suvarna Karnataka and asked if he would be joining it. He was dilating on the subject. "It would not be possible till August 18, 2011 as there is a moratorium on Vijaya Sankeshwara starting another Kannada newspaper under the sale agreement with the Times Group. And even after that for one year..."

My next question: "Would you be launching your own paper, now that you have made a name and venture capitalists would be waiting in the wings...?"
"I will tell you after 20 days," Vishveshwara Bhat said.

At this point, I reminded him of my small tête – a - tete with Dr. Veerendra Heggade of Sri Dharmasthala a month back when we talked about non - corporates starting newspaper and the difficulties they would face with the example of one Raghurama Shetty of “Prajavani” who started “Mungaru” Kannada newspaper in Mangalore with his journalist colleagues but had to close it after a year. This I mentioned by way of caution, thinking that he might start a newspaper himself along with the other four colleagues he said had also resigned from Vijaya Karnataka along with him. After all, they too need to be rehabilitated which, he might think, was his moral responsibility.

I was just about telling him that such a venture needed different kind of expertise and talent, not just as journalists. Expertise in administration too is important. Keeping aside my modesty, I gave my own example, that was shared with Dharmadhikari — of my experience as a businessman in my own Advertising Agency in Poona and as a journalist in Free Press Journal and Indian Express in Bombay which stood me in good stead in successfully steering my newspapers. The telephone connection snapped again...

Many may think that nothing would change for the owners of Vijaya Karnataka or will happen to the paper itself. Wrong. We know what happened to “The Illustrated Weekly of India” owned by Times of India Group, when Khushwant Singh left. Similar examples can be given of Nehru's “National Herald” and “The Statesman” of Kolkata. Let us not worry about the owners of these big newspaper houses. It is a flea bite for them, if there are initial difficulties. They shall overcome it in course of time. I am concerned about Vishveshwara Bhat, a brilliant journalist in Kannada, of Kannadigas. He may be looking out for new pastures, new challenges that are already there in both print and electronic media. Could be, being a good speaker as he is a good writer, he might want a talent - shift to the electronic medium, like the former editor of Kannada Prabha H. R. Ranganath. Who knows?

But, I have heard that he is being tipped to head or anchor the “Janasri” TV channel likely to be launched by the mining lords of Bellary — Janardhan Reddy and Sreeramulu. Best of luck.

However, the basic question remains unanswered: What was such a compelling reason for Vishveshwara Bhat to quit when nothing was planned for his future? Certainly age - 44 is not an age for retirement. One will go mad!

I was gleaning through some tabloids and websites and found a few reasons being mentioned. Of them two seemed important. Briefly, one is the dipping circulation pushing Vijaya Karnataka to the second slot. Alleged reason: Antagonizing one of the major communities with its editorial and news coverage.

Two, writing tendentious reports leading to suspicion of journalistic ethics and he was unable to restrain those who were writing such articles or reports. I have perceived it long back, since the time the paper indulged in Ashok Kheny bashing, acting like an agent of JD (S) and H. D. Deve Gowda to an extent it seemed vulgar. Yet our Vishveshwara Bhat is an honourable man and I wish him well. Rise again Vishveshwara Bhat!