M J Akbar is one of the brightest journalists and a handsome young man in his younger days; even now he has an impressive personality. No wonder women fell for him. With all the talents and rated as one of the best editor, he has a weakness for young women but it is a surprise that he would fall so low as described by 20 women journalists who worked under him at one time or other. Many upcoming women journalists left their jobs because they could not bear the harassment. At the same time, those who worked with him learnt a lot professionally.
The scribes who worked with Akbar are now occupying senior positions in the respective newspapers they are working with. What had happened 15 or 20 years back has come to fore now as a senior journalist Priya Ramani, perhaps inspired by #MeToo movement, alleged that Akbar had harassed her and harassed, or even assaulted as many as 20 women journalists, who had worked him, went on record to ask the court to “consider testimonies of sexual harassment of some of us at the hands of Akbar” and others “who bore witness to this harassment”.
The 20 women journalists reacted when Akbar filed a criminal defamation case against Ramani. The Editors Guild has asked Akbar to withdraw the case but one wonders if Akbar will abide by advice of the Guild. What court decides can be any body’s guess. Will the judge accept the oral testimony of 20 journalists? What If the court asks for proof of what happened 15 or 20 years? The answers to all these queries depends on the discretion of the judge.
Having known personally Akbar for almost four decades, I can vouch he is a superb journalist. I have seen his professional brilliance when we accompanied Rajiv Gandhi on the five-nation visit in 1985 which took him, besides France and United States, to three African countries. Akbar’s dispatches were superb. In winter of 1988 we accompanied Rajiv to China, which was a landmark visit and restored China-India relations, frozen after 1962 war.
The mistake, perhaps, Akbar made was to plunge in the uncertain world of politics. Taking advantage of his proximity to Rajiv Gandhi, he joined Congress party as the number two spokesman; Vithal Gadgil was the main spokesperson. He was given a ticket for Lok Sabha from Kishanganj, Bihar; he won and remained the Congress MP from 1989 to 1991. At that time, he was a staunch critic of the BJP and abused the party leaders left and right. Akbar wept when Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated.
Akbar proved to be a political opportunist when he joined the BJP in March 2014 and was appointed the saffron party’s spokesman. In a reversal of role, he became a bitter critic of the Congress party. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Jharkhand in July 2015. It is said under pressure from some quarters, he was sworn in as a junior minister in the ministry of External Affairs on July 5, 2016.
Akbar has had to resign on October 17 and with this his political career comes to and end. He may think of bringing a newspaper because he is an expert in this line. As a prolific writer, he may choose to write a book. Few know that Akbar’s paternal grandfather was a Hindu, named Prayag. He was raised by a Muslim couple after being orphaned in a communal riot. Later, he was converted to Islam and named Rehmatullah.
Akbar began his career in The Times of India in 1971 as a trainee. Subsequently, he moved to The Illustrated Weekly of India, then India’s largest selling magazine as a sub-editor as well as distinguishing himself as a feature writer. He would remain with the weekly till 1973 when he was named the editor of the news fortnightly Onlooker. In 1976, he moved to Calcutta to join the Ananda Bazar Patrika Group as editor of a political weekly Sunday. Within just three years of its launch the investigating reporting pioneered by the magazine established its national circulation and number one position. The magazine took an uncompromising stand against Emergency and fought the press censorship. Sunday not only established major trends in journalism but also spawned a new generation of journalists in the country. Sadly, after Akbar left an up and coming magazine like Sunday closed down.
After Sunday, Akbar launched what is considered to be India first modern newspaper. He conceived, designed and edited the daily newspaper The Telegraph, which had a major impact on newspaper journalism in India. Calcutta-based Telegraph is thriving even long after Akbar’s exit.
Akbar started a new media company with the aim of creating India’s first newspaper that would not only include an international focus within its editorial range, but also be the first Indian daily with international edition. The newspaper appeared in February 1994. The Asian Age was launched with initial editions in Delhi, Bombay and London, and by 2008 had grown, in collaboration with Deccan Chronicle to eight editions, into a major media presence nationally and internationally. In 2004 the group began publishing The International Herald Tribune in India, and became publishing partner of The New York Times. Akbar was also editor-in-chief of Deccan Chronicle, a Hyderabad daily.
During the nineties he diluted his stake in the Asian Age, eventually selling off a major part of it to Reddys, the owners of Deccan Herald. In March 2008, Akbar was removed from the The Asian Age and Deccan Chronicle due to differences with the owner over editorial policy.
Akbar then tried his luck with politics, joined the BJP, elected to the Raiya Sabha and made a minister. He had to quit following controversy over alleged harassment of some female colleagues. His political career, as of now, has come to an abrupt end. He is in wilderness again. (IPA Service)
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