The lives of journalists like Muralidhar Reddy and Nirupama Subramanian, who navigate through the maze of diplomatic tensions to report on ground realities, illuminate the critical role of media in fostering understanding and dialogue
The distinguished journalist B. Muralidhar Reddy, who notably served as The Hindu’s correspondent in Islamabad from 2000 to 2006, passed away on a quiet Saturday night. His tenure in Islamabad marked him as possibly the only Indian journalist to have spent such an extended period there, illuminating the complex challenges faced by journalists stationed in rival territories.
Reddy’s career spanned a tumultuous epoch in Indo-Pak relations, notably covering the peace processes under President Pervez Musharraf, the political engagements of Indian Opposition leader and Bharatiya Janata Party President L. K. Advani, and the ceasefire declarations by Hizbul Mujahideen.
His narratives not only chronicled political shifts but also depicted the personal growth and adaptability required of journalists under such conditions. His wife, Aparna Srivastava, also a journalist, embraced these challenges by learning Urdu during their stay, further blurring the cultural lines typically drawn so starkly between the two nations.
Journalism across borders, especially in nations with frosty relations like India and Pakistan, presents a unique set of challenges. Journalists bear the brunt of geopolitical tensions, much like diplomats, yet their stories and experiences often remain untold.
Until a decade ago, representatives of the Pakistani news agency Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) and Radio Pakistan were posted in Delhi, while the Indian news agency Press Trust of India (PTI) and the newspaper The Hindu had correspondents in Islamabad.
In the early 90s, The Times of India and The Hindustan Times also had reporters in Islamabad. Vinod Sharma, who represented The Hindustan Times, regales audiences with stories of Islamabad. The Jung Group and its English daily, The News International, had a full-fledged bureau in Delhi.
Under its bureau chief Abdul Waheed Hussani, many Indian journalists worked in the bureau. It was a step ahead of many Indian news organizations in terms of possessing state-of-the-art equipment, as it was the first newspaper office to have computers and used to send stories via modem.
However, the professional perils were manifold. Indian and Pakistani journalists were often restricted to single-city visas, curtailing their mobility and the scope of their reporting. For instance, Pakistani journalists in India could not access cities like Noida or Gurgaon, and similarly, their Indian counterparts were barred from Rawalpindi and Murree among others. Even when the APP correspondent late Liaqat Ali Toor wanted to rent a house in the East Delhi apartment, rather than rent a costly house in South Delhi, he was denied permission.
-Fear and difficulties
The fear and difficulties they faced can be illustrated by the incident of Wasim Khalid, a correspondent of Radio Pakistan in Delhi in the 90s. His work visa used to expire on the 30th of every month, so after the 20th, he would leave his work and get busy trying to extend the visa period by one more month, which often happened after four or five days.
Once there was no news about his visa extension until the 29th. The concerned officers were not forthcoming, stating there were no directions from above.
Now, the problem was that in case of visa denial, he needed two or three days to dispose of equipment, pay house rent, etc., and hand the house back to the owner. So he sought to petition the foreigner’s wing of Delhi Police to allow him to leave on the first day of the next month, as that day, there was a direct flight from Delhi to Lahore.
The police inspector, after hearing all his harrowing tales, gave a cryptic reply in a Haryanvi dialect that if he is found in Delhi a minite after the midnight of 31st, they will arrest and lodge him in Delhi’s Tihar jail.
He took tickets to Lahore and hurriedly disposed of household goods till the evening. At throwaway prices, people took the TV, refrigerator, and sofa set. He had purchased a white Ambassador car, which he also sold at a sum of Rs. 25,000 in distress.
Early the next morning, All India Radio emphatically denied reports, citing the Ministry of External Affairs, that any order had been issued for Radio Pakistan’s representative to leave the country. The visa officers probably came home and stamped Waseem Sahib’s passport to extend the validity period. Now another whole day was spent canceling tickets and asking friends to return equipment that they had brought at throwaway prices. Some were generous, but many refused to return.
Jalil Ahmed’s experiences, another seasoned journalist from the Associated Press of Pakistan, further exemplifies this.
While working from the Press Information Burau’s press room at Shastri Bhawan, he received a call from his home that the police had come and were looking for his son.
When he spoke to the police inspector on the phone, he learned that someone had filed a bicycle theft report against his son at the New Friends Colony police station. Police wanted to arrest his son.
Leaving work, accompanied by a few journalists, he reached the Ministry of External Affairs and then the senior officers of the Delhi Police, but there was no response.
Finally, he realized that before going to the police station, the Pakistani High Commission should be informed. Accompanied by Embassy Press Minister Mufti Jameel Ahmed, the delegation appeared before High Commissioner Riyaz Khokhar. Khokhar, who was adept at finding unconventional solutions to such problems.
After listening to the whole situation, he dialled someone’s number. After hello and other etiquette, he told the person on the other end of the phone that P. Surya Narayan, the correspondent of The Hindu in Islamabad, had been found pickpocketing while travelling in a bus and had been being detained.
It seemed that Khokhar had worsened the matter. But on reaching back to the media centre after an hour, Jalil Sahib was told that there had been several calls from his home. It was learned that the police inspector had again come to his house and apologized, saying that a complaint had been lodged under mistaken identity.
Javed Jadoon, the last correspondent of Radio Pakistan, was forbidden by the bank to open an account, due to which he could not get his salary. There are countless such incidents.
Similar incidents have happened to Indian journalists in Pakistan as well.
In February 2001, I came to Islamabad for my cousin’s marriage and called Muralidhar Reddy. His wife was working with PTI in New Delhi. Both husband and wife gave a special welcome and said that it was the birthday of PTI representative J. Verma’s son and asked me to accompany them.
Along with an old friend Ershad Mehmood, we joined his convoy and reached Verma’s house. An officer of the Indian High Commission was also present there. Well, after the ceremony, when we were going back, people on motorbikes stopped us on the road and started questioning us.
-Nirupama Subramanian experience
Before coming to Reddy’s house, I had gone to the office of Nawa-i-Waqt and The Nation newspaper and was carrying the card of their editor in my pocket. I handed them the same card and they let us go. I also used to write from Delhi for The Nation. Maybe it was the fear or respect of The Nawa-i-Waqt, that they let u go.
One hopes that these nuclear-armed countries will learn to deal with these issues patiently with a warm heart but cool mind.
The narrative of Nirupama Subramanian, who succeeded Reddy at The Hindu, encapsulates the paradox of such assignments. Coveted yet daunting, her tenure in Islamabad was a blend of intense scrutiny and warm hospitality.
Her recount of being constantly monitored juxtaposes her experiences of profound interpersonal connections, illustrating the complex fabric of Indo-Pak relations and the human stories within.
“I learned much as I unlearned much more about Pakistan and my own country and gained important insights into my profession,” she said.
During the four years, she says, one man on a motorbike, wearing blue jeans and glasses, but at times, three or even four men were stationed outside her house, following her wherever she went.
“There was nothing covert or discreet about the shadowing; it was done openly. Nor was I singled out. The other Indian journalist got similar treatment, as had all our predecessors,” she added.
She writes that people opened gates for her. She has made countless friends, who still treat her as family.
But what was agonizing was that an Indian reproter in Pakistan was not treated as a newsperson, but at times would become a news and part of the story. She was invited to TV shows and anchors were keen to know the Indian viewpoint from her rather than a journalist’s viewpoint.
“Those tense months were a revelation about how governments use the media and how the media in turn can manipulate both government and their audiences,” says Subramanian.
In August 2009, as she was waiting for her visa extension, she was abruptly asked to leave the country within two weeks. Her organisation The Hindu preferred to work out this situation quietly so that it would not become another point of contention between the two governments. She got a six-month reprieve, until February 2010.
With all these experiences in the background, it would do much for relations between India and Pakistan if the two governments allowed media organizations to post correspondents, without restrictions and report freely. That will go a long way to break the ice and frosty relations at least at the people-to-people level and set a stage for settling bigger issues.
In conclusion, the lives of journalists like Muralidhar Reddy and Nirupama Subramanian, who navigate through the maze of diplomatic tensions to report on ground realities, illuminate the critical role of media in fostering understanding and dialogue between nations.
Their stories advocate for fewer restrictions and greater freedom for media personnel, which could pave the way for thawing the icy relations at a people-to-people level and setting the stage for resolving broader geopolitical issues. Their legacy is a testament to the power of journalism as a bridge in times of division.
