HAI KOI AUR 'SAWAL'?

Navaprabha chief reporter Gurudas Sawal finally winds up his long career stretching over 35 years. The short-statured Sawal was one of those guys, whom you saw about everyday, but could never figure out. In many ways, his personality appeared to match the Marathi newspaper he served for decades. Small, somber, sober, harmless. Thirty years in the same newspaper is not a joke, especially if you have had to serve under eccentric characters like editor Suresh Valve (who also has this weird habit of pushing tables and chairs into position with his waist as he walks from his cabin to the loo and back, often during the day). And Sawal also had to contend with the portly senior reporter Sanjiv Verenkar who sees the world in a queer way, when he winces and looks across the bridge of his nose and over the spectacles. Sanjiv supports the Konkani cause, while Sawal espouses the Marathi cause. Sawal the journalist was known for a legendary weekly column 'Chakravyuh', which he wrote under a pseudonym. His excellent political acumen, which made this column a huge success however deserted him in the latter part of his career, when he began dabbling in things other than journalism. In the 90s Sawal was pipped to the post by another Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) aspirant for a ticket to the assembly elections for a constituency located in the heart of the MGP stronghold. Sawal also held positions in the board of directors of the controversial Mapusa Urban Co-operative Bank and Bardez Bazaar, both ventures backed by former deputy chief minister and former MGP strongman Ramakant Khalap. Sawal has also been active in the Bhandari samaj movement and held positions in the Gomant Marathi Academy and has been ersthe president of the Goa Union of Journalists for several consecutive terms.