OHeraldo marriage…… when Savita and John Aguiar got married

By John Aguiar

John Aguiar was working as a reporter for OHeraldo when we first started the new makeover English daily. When a request came from the then Union External Affairs Minister Eduardo Faleiro for a personal assistant I had no hesitation in recommending John. He later married the OHeraldo accountant and she became Savita Aguiar….

MY first managing editor, Rajan Narayan, who edited OHeraldo, opened the door to my career in journalism by taking a chance on me when I was a young lad just out of college. Rajan not only saw something in me that I was too young to see, he helped me see it too. And he believed in me. I worked my back off for him every day and he rewarded me with patience, professionalism and a variety of assignments that exposed me to the rich contours of the news business.
My first pictures and stories were appropriately buried in the middle of the paper, but eventually my stories of President Giani Zail Singh’s visit and the covering of the hutment area with a white curtain so that the slums are not visible to presidential eyes, open spaces in Ponda, the visit of External Affairs Minister AB Vajpayee to Ponda and unveiling the statue of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the story of Pearl Cinema in Margao, were placed on the front page, banner headlines, first leads and across the heart of the paper.
I was encouraged to be a crime reporter where I wrote stories as “Karamchand.” The special story of Charles Sobhraj continued for three days as a bottom spread.
I still cannot forget the reporting that we did during those days during the language agitation by being on the spot where the action was taking place. I was assigned to cover at Agacaim where there was a lathi charge, during the visit of then minister, Eduardo Faleiro. Thereafter there was a lathi charge at Goa Doordarshan. We also covered lathi charges at Customs where our photographer Menino Afonso was injured.
Joining OHeraldo was a double benefit for me as it was here that I met my future wife. She was working in the accounts department. I remember, I had to be transferred to Margao for some time as Bureau In-charge there. Though I did not realise the reason then I later understood that it was Savita who had pressed the red button! But finally we were married and both of us were blessed by our Editor Rajan sir. However, in the next anniversary issue editorial there was a mention about me. It said something along the lines of “my crime reporter John Aguiar married my accounts staff Savita and eloped with her to New Delhi.”
I can tell you that the best relationship between a journalist and an editor is one of cooperation and respect. The editor seeks to nurture the journalist and help him or her improve their skills, because that is what ultimately leads to better stories. A good journalist works with the editor to better understand the kind of stories a publication’s readers will be most interested in. This leads to better interactions with more sales or assignments for the journalist in the future.
Eduardo Faleiro, then Union minister, wanted a secretary in New Delhi. My name was promptly recommended by Rajan. I was called by Eduardo to the Circuit House and that’s how I joined the minister’s office in New Delhi.
On my last day at the OHeraldo, Rajan gave me appreciation letter which was helpful when I joined the State Information & Publicity Department later.
Rajan Narayan note: I was always the editor and never the managing editor!