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When heroes fall

26/11/2013

19 Comments

 
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Hard as it is to believe now, Tarun was my hero. Not just from his early Tehelka days when he took on the establishment fearlessly and showed us what journalism was all about but from 19 years back when he was the features editor of Financial Express and I was a nobody rookie reporter into my second newspaper job. My most vivid memory of Tarun (second only to him sprawled in the editor’s chair, his legs on the sacred editor’s table in his glass doored cabin, his laugh booming through office – which made me gasp in disbelief when I saw it for the first time); is of him coming to work in a blood stained shirt. He had just returned from taking a road accident victim to the hospital in the gypsy he used to drive. In my eyes, cold blooded, power hungry editors didn’t do those kind of things. But he did. But then, he was different. Fearless, idealistic, bold and brilliant. That was the Tarun we knew. There are other memories too. Of Tarun, standing behind your shoulder, telling you how a sentence could be rewritten to make greater impact; of him cold bloodedly taking the printed edition apart and analysing what had worked and what hadn't. Of him; taking us (his team of young boys and girls) home for dinner – macaroni and chicken cooked by his charming wife Geetan. Of him in his bookshelf lined sitting room, drink in hand, cracking jokes, pulling legs, prophesying where each of us would be 10 years from then. Of him standing at his door, an arm around Geetan, waving us off with a cheerful: “Don’t come back, you drunken buggers!”

For me, and most of us young reporters who joined him when he started the features section at FE, Tarun was the perfect boss. Not only could he write beautifully (he could; his India Today essays were legendary); he could pick the best stories, edit wonderfully, take a stand with the fearsome Prabhu Chawla, then editor, fight for salary raises (not just his but yours too), take on the management. And then stride in with your contract and fling it casually on the table with: “It’s done. Go work now”. He was the kind of journalist every young aspiring kid in journalism school dreams of becoming and hardly anybody ever does.

In his casual denim shirts rolled up at the arm, he walked tall. He strode through the corridors of Indian Express with an easy familiarity, he laughed without inhibition, his smile touched his eyes, his concern for people was genuine, he wore his intelligence lightly. From that first day when I knocked on his cabin door, biodata in hand, a nervous “Mr. Tejpal?” on my tongue; and he waved me in from where he was lazily leaning back in his swivel chair, arms clasped behind his head, with a: “Come on in. And call me Tarun;” he was the kind of person I wanted to be. He would sit in his cabin with his long legs on the table, discussing story ideas and special supplements; addressing guys with the crassest of expletives and they would be delighted with the familiarity. If you walked late for a meeting, stuttering over an apology, he would just grin wider and say: relax, pull a chair and tell us what you got. He would regale us with stories about the time he ran away from NDA (or was it IMA), he would share with us scandalous celebrity gossip; yes even about editors who had prepositioned young girls, about how Shobha De’s charm was far greater than her writing. He would send us for assignments with the warning: Don’t come back with wide eyed stories. Use your brains.

Once when I called a turbaned Sikh colleague I didn’t get along with Jodie Foster and the complaint reached Tarun; he called me to cabin. Rather severely he asked me what I had been calling the man since he was really upset. “Jodie Foster” I replied. “Why?’ he asked. “Because he has a judie,” I replied, wishing the earth would split and swallow me. A cut surd himself, Tarun burst into laughter and told me to get lost. “You guys make me feel like a school principal.”

Now when I hear of salt mining scandals in Goa and murky political deals and unbelievable fallen behavior in lifts; it shakes the belief of nearly 20 years. Tarun was an awesome guy or so I always believed. What he has done (and he apparently has since he has written that sick apology of a letter) is heart breaking for all of us who equated journalism of courage and conviction with him.

19 Comments
babu
25/11/2013 08:14:29 pm

Thats how life is. Nothing is a constant. No one is perfect. Lets look at his sum total than about an incident.

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Mahendra
25/11/2013 08:38:30 pm

As a TT fan, I am also disappointed - though not entirely let down. After all (yes please flame me), alpha males like TT are likely to get into this kind of trouble (think of JFK - or Bill Clinton - Or Jack Welch - Or Mark Hurd - The list is long and impressive....), and I guess we have to cut them some slack because of what they otherwise contribute to society.
I am not condoning what he did - he certainly should be punished with whatever is appropriate in this case. However I hope it will not mean the end of a career that sometimes seemed to be the last bastion of investigative journalism against the tidal wave of maudlin serials and IQ destroying reality shows.
Looking forward to more from TT and Tehelka.

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Mahendra
26/11/2013 01:30:22 pm

I have since then read what is purported to be the letter written by the victim to her boss (Shoma Choudhary) - if that is true then I am afraid I have to shift my loyalty to the anti Tarun camp. Succumbing to a moment of weakness is one thing, to molest a friend of your daughter - and that too on two occassions, fully aware that she was not consenting - that is hard to gloss over.
I am afraid TT has pressed the self desruct button here....

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Ganga
25/11/2013 10:27:50 pm

Rachu, I was telling my colleague about the Tarun I knew from my FE days and how I found it hard t believe he could have done this. You brought back all those FE memories....the visit to his house and the meetings we used to have in his cabin!

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YSRawat link
25/11/2013 11:48:21 pm

I am enclined to agree with Mahendra. I consider Goa C M a good person but seeing our selfish self serving politicians behave, it may well be some organised effort to melign Tejpal. Your enemies multiply in direct proportion to ur speed of acceleration. It may well be the case with Tejpal since at least I haven't heard any similar complaint/allegation in the past. Flip side is money and power makes all except a few rare exceptions, rude & arrogant justifying all misdeeds as genuine. I hope Tarun Trjpal doesn't belong to that category. Will know the fact soon.

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Ritha Hegde
26/11/2013 03:58:20 am

You remember so many minute details about him. No doubt he was your hero! But with the very little that me as 'aam aadmi' knew him, definitely would have wanted him to be remembered for his good deeds than this!

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Deepak Gera
26/11/2013 09:37:19 am

Sad part of story is yet to come when we will see how more organised efforts will come in scene to malign him further....true Ritha..we would like to remember him for his good deeds than this....

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mona.ranadive@gmail.com
26/11/2013 11:23:06 am

Hi Rachu... Your description made me fall in love with Tarun once again :) You've described every detail so beautifully.. n all said n done , there cannot be another Tarun..now only if he can save himself from the sharks clamouring for his blood..finally !! Sad that he had to stoop so low :(

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PJ
26/11/2013 12:55:08 pm

"You filthy, dirty pig, you are all the same. Pigs. Pigs"
Immortal lines from that immortal story....

The more famous the pig, the louder the thud when he falls...but like Mahendra says the devil is almost always given his due....after all we all 'evolved' from the cave days....

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Puneet
26/11/2013 01:18:46 pm

Excellent piece Rachna, from the heart! Evoked emotion and brought out the image of the man. What he did was disappointing and unfortunate and he is getting it back.

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RITEN KHOSLA
26/11/2013 01:20:38 pm

You have painted a picture of the man so replete with authenticity based on your own sensibilities.Is there a human being who has never(not even once) gone overboard/can say never had a crush.Can we start with Mahatma Gandhi or Jawahar Lal Nehru.Creative guys are likely to succumb to basic instincts more than the others.In this movie Shudh Desi romance,this country bumpkin just stretches and kisses a stranger Parineeti in the bus.Calls for an F.I.R. and a chargesheet of molesting/attempt to rape and what have you.
The system is hell bent on crushing Tarun in the mud,the media is taking on the media mughal.A Shakespearean tragedy.What is this delayed fuse action by the Holy Cow Journalist after accepting an apology.Its time for Damage Control/legalities to also understand what it is BEING HUMAN.A caution for all CEOs/Casting couch guys.For God's sake stay at an arms length from women and as Sam Manekshaw said, when you got to enemy country just put your hands in your pocket and think of Sam.You had the courage to say kind words for Tarun and Geetan when the chips are down.Everyone does not do that.Life is such.Oscillate between GOOD,BAD AND UGLY.All those guys out there who have greyed and bald and not charged deserve a medal for steering honorably through the minefield called life.Continue to do so with an odd beer and a dash of restraint.

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Anitha link
26/11/2013 01:55:59 pm

Nice piece of work....shows ur disappointment...

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Anima
27/11/2013 03:39:29 pm

Thanks for sharing the other side of Tarun Tejpal....

Sad to see our heroes fall....

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samson aseervatham
30/11/2013 11:49:48 pm

"Streak of madness is with every genius "Basically everyone is a human being .Let us wait till the court finalize its verdict.T T will raise from the ashes . Scandals are part of almost every celebrities .Monica vs Clinton , David Davidar,Salmon Rushdie . Scandals make a person popular beyond any marketing strategy and their books/productions sells millions of copies.It is a blessing in disguise . Every coin has two sides.Let us hope for the best.

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anjana link
8/12/2013 07:48:45 pm

Rachna , I never knew Mr. T .T it may be disillusioning for u but we all have feet of clay. He is human . Appearances especially dynamic glamorous ones r deceptive. If u had pleasant memories remember him with what you experienced. Talwars and tejpals ki sahi kahaani kise maloom. What lies in the recesses of human brain????. Lets not ponder so deep.

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UB
9/12/2013 01:22:19 pm

well. tarun tejpal fell down. he had feet of clay. but, do you know what the bible tells us ? " we are all sinners. " let us not judge him too harshly.

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anjana joshi link
11/12/2013 10:26:21 pm

Pl do not get disillusioned . We all r humans we may be hero or villian depending on situation. If u have pleasant memories remember them . We all r capable of shocking deeds.

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ather
22/12/2013 10:40:06 pm

Alas people can inspire in their professional lives and disappoint in their personal. The jihad against ouselves is the greatest struggle of all..

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лукойл урц пермь вакансии link
14/5/2014 04:49:26 pm

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    Rachna Bisht Rawat is a full time mom and part time writer. She is married to an Army officer whose work takes the family to some of the most interesting corners of India.

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