A Centurian Journalist Remembers

M.K.Pardhi,  a former officer of the Indian Information Service, who completed one hundred years of his glorious life Friday, is proud of his one special assignment and has a deep regret for another in his long professional career as a journalist. Pardhi who is hale and hearty shared some of his experiences at a webinar organised by All India Radio Pune to mark the occasion. People from different parts of India joined to wish him a happy birth day and listen to his experiences and advice for the new generation.
"I started my journalistic career from a Marathi newspaper Janshakti and reported the "Quit India" movement led by Mahatma Gandhi in then Bombay in 1942. Gandhi was a charismatic leader. People followed him with reverence. I was privileged to cover that.
"The incident that I regret was my assignment in the Censor Board in the Press Information Bureau during the Emergency between 1975 and 1977. I did not like the job but had to delete news items unpalatable to the government of the day from the newspaper pages.
 M. K. Pardhi worked in the All India Radio, Publication Division and Field Publicity departments of the ministry of Information and Broadcasting.Pardhi was Regional Officer in the Field Publicity department and would frequently go on field tours to inspect the working of the Field Publicity units under his supervision. "These tours would actually turn to be literary discussions with Marathi writers in different district of Maharashtra state", says a writer who had come to offer birthday greetings to him in Pune. When asked about the secret of his long life and good health, Pardhi said it was because of his still continuing involvement in creative activities like literary writing and review. "Remain happy. Things will change. Adversity will also change". 
A journalist put a naughty question to Mrs. Pardhi. "When was it that you had a fight with each other?"."We fight almost every day but make up within minutes", was the prompt reply from her. Though a bit hard of hearing,  Pardhi nodded in affirmation with a smile. "Was it a love marriage or arranged one?" "Both", said Mrs Pardhi with a bit of blushing without elaborating.
Any message for the new generation? "Work hard. Be creative and remain away from intoxicants", was the  advice from Pardhi.Pardhi was to join another felicitation function organised by a Pune publication.   Greetings continued to pour in on social media from the working and the retired members of the Indian Information Service and those from the programme and other wings of All India Radio and Doordarshan. Print media persons and literary writers too turned up in big numbers to wish many more happy return of the day to Centurian M. K. Pardhi. One of his coleague Pardhi who was born on the 18th of December in 1920, retired in 1978 aged 58, then prescribed age for retirement for Central Government staff. The age since has been raised to 60 years.

(Compiled by Ajit Singh)
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