Tuesday 18 September 2007

DEATH OF A JOURNALIST

The late Umesh Mahambre in every sense represented the old school Goan journalist.
A servile, petty closet carnivore, with a penchant for networking for non-professional ends. For a large part of his career, Mahambre slaved for the Dempos and The Navhind Times.
We really do not wish to embarrass the dead and would have honestly preferred to fit the term ‘yeoman service’ somewhere in the earlier line, but we couldn’t get ourselves to describe Mahambre’s efforts as “a yeoman service”. A yeoman has some pride.
He worked his heart out for the newspaper and the company, which runs it. Take our work for it. He did. Come rain or shine, Mahambre was out slugging it out for his paper or his numerous bosses.
Need some permissions to organise an event or say some urgent networking with some government official or say some NOCs (No objection certificates) from the cops or some friends/clients need to be shown about Goa… some movie tickets to be arranged… some passes to be conjured… the Dempo house called either Arun Sinha the editor or if matters were desperate Mahambre was sought, roused, hunted…
Mahambre was just that sort of a guy, who’d generally be tough to find, but always loved to be found.
For years he woke up every morning in his flat located at the St Inez government quarters, to find two carrots hovering around his eyes.
The smaller carrot hanging by a slender thread, was the one tugged by The Navhind Times advertising boss Vijay Kalangutkar, who’d promise that he’d put a good word about him to Srinivas Dempo, the big boss at Dempo Group of Companies. The bigger carrot was yo-yoed by the editor Arun Sinha. This lure was the position of chief reporter he was forever vying for in vain.
We are pretty sure that Mahambre would have made for a remarkably incompetent chief reporter, considering the little respect he commanded and his spineless traits, but this fantasy had been slipped like a potion into his gullet.

Why are we writing about him?
Like we said Mahambre died last year, leaving behind his wife Tanuja.
Tanuja holds a temporary job at the Saraswati mandir library. Tanuja was publicly promised a job somewhere in the Dempo group of companies and institutions by a senior Dempo trustee. A guy called Sunil Prabhudessai, who’s Srinivas Dempo’s ManFriday in more ways than one.
Oh… she was relieved. Cause from what we know Mahambre died almost a pauper.
Normally, we wouldn’t have pursued this story. It goes against our stated position of journos accepting philanthropy.
But her journo husband’s dead. And a promise was made to her. A promise made at a time when Mahambre’s soul was perhaps still slipping past the troposphere.
The promise has not been fulfilled for whatever reasons. And she’s been waiting. And petitioning. And waiting.
Nothing’s coming through.
What’s coming through and past the Dempo House gates is the slipstream caused by Srinivas Dempo latest acquisition, a third Mercedes in his fleet.

Looks like there’s a job for a driver vacant now…
Tanuja can wait maybe…

7 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

On the issue of broken promises:

Politicians break their promises all the time!

Now that the goverment is pushing a 'new' concept called PPP (Public Private Partnership), which to put it bluntly, gives the government the licence to choose any partner they desire.

Looks like businessmen have similar characteristics. After all partners need something in common... don't they!

18 September 2007 at 22:30  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Like I said earlier, to make up for the strong anti-Herald bias and the loss of reputation of Penpricks in the bargain, Penpricks (sic) has now gotten after The Navhind Times.
If Baba (Srinivas) knew of Tanuja's plight, he would and will do something about it.
He is not petty minded.

18 September 2007 at 22:46  
Blogger Pen Pricks said...

Hi... an open comment forum should not be mistaken for a graffiti for non-topic, petty, vulgar remarks... we've been receiving several such. They won't be published...
The blog's anonymous for a reason... Shady comments and queries trying to figure out the ownership of the blog will also be moderated.
You guys... if you want to fish out the ownership... do it in style man... Do it with some kinda. You guys don't have to stoop down to an Arun Sinha everytime...

18 September 2007 at 23:39  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Very apt, pricks!
Mhambro was used and now that he is dead, the Dhempos have forgotten all about his subservient service to them.
Our heart bleeds for Tanuja, but not Sinha's or Sunil's or Srinivas's.
Shame on them!
--- P

19 September 2007 at 10:34  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

sad indeed
shame on all who matter in the the navhind times.
People who write with pride about others, short coming f others.Kalagutkar.
Dead man do not talk.
and here is the soul of Umesh which is stirring many to stand up and talk and may be act.
may his soul rest in peace

19 September 2007 at 14:46  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

By the way pricks, you suddenly have become quiet on the cash for edits.
I mean is there any followup after the expose.
Also You have not mentioned the repercussions in the herald following the scam. Please do update as I stay in a remote area where there is no network or phone connection.

19 September 2007 at 17:00  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

penpricks... Did Sunil Prabhudessai have the consent of the Dempos, when he made that public promise or was it in his personal capacity?

A local TV channel showed Mr. Mahambre's garlanded pic at a function. In his speech Adv. Aires Rodrigues says that Mahambre was an active member in the successful movement to get 50% bus concession. That's yeoman service!
As all sat cosily on the purple chairs no one made any mention of Mrs. Mahambre or did they?

Whether or not TNT has done a disservice or not I cannot say, as I don't have Dempo's side of the story.

19 September 2007 at 23:44  

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