Ministers and Manners

 This blog is an interesting story that my father had told me. It is set in the years 1932-33. My father had just graduated in Chemistry from Annamalai University. He desperately wanted a job. It was very difficult to get a job those days. Madras (now Chennai) was the Mecca for job seekers as there were many companies. So, my father set out to seek his fortunes in Madras. Instead of mailing his CV, he went door-to-door visiting many companies. In one of the foreign companies dealing with chemicals, the English manager was kind enough to grant him an interview. On seeing my father, the first question he asked was, "Are you a buyer or seller?" My father replied, "Neither I am just a job-seeker." 'Ok. I see" said the boss, "Tell me what you can do for me?" My father reeled out his academic credentials. The English boss was unimpressed. He pointed to the books on a nearby shelf and said, " Youngman, whatever you told me now is all within my arms reach. So, why should I hire you? Can you develop a chemical formulation and sell it?" End of interview. No job.

 Totally disappointed and frustrated, my father looked at the newspapers. He chanced to read an ad. from the Indian Express seeking reporters. He applied and got the job. Added to the salary was a bonus in offering tuitions to the big boss Ramnath Goenka's young son. So, my father started his first job as a journalist.

The Editor Kasa Subbarao asked my father to interview Mr. P.T. Rajan (grandfather of present DMK minister P.T. Rajan) who was then a minister in the Justice Party Government. The Justice Party was the ideological predecessor of the Dravidar Kazhagam (DK). Smartly dressed, my father visited the office of Mr. P.T. Rajan. An attendant ushered him into a waiting room and went to inform the minister about his seeking an interview. My father waited patiently. After a long wait, the minister came out. Brushing past my father without even a glance, he shouted at the attendant, "Hey, you come here, haven't I told you not to let any dog from Indian Express to enter this premises?" My father got the hint and walked out quietly.

 Back at the Indian Express office, my father gave a tearful report of the humiliating incident to the editor. The Editor was a smart man. He calmed down my father and said, "Don't worry. Such insults are quite common in a journalistic career. But you know, the pen is mightier than the sword. Watch me, I will teach the minister a lesson." 

The next day, the Indian Express carried an editorial titled, "Ministers and Manners" lashing out at the minister's way of treating a media representative.