A faithful freelancer

Once left un-reported; the crowd-pulling religious discourses and events started getting their due placement in Nagpur newspapers after Dinesh Suchak started his freelance journalism with ‘faith’ beat some 26 years ago. Started on a bicycle, this unique ‘PR’ journey has reached into a car now. today, no religious event in Nagpur is complete without Suchak’s reports.

Dinesh Suchak and his car. (Pic by Satish Raut)

MOST of the people in newsrooms of all leading newspapers of Nagpur are familiar with this old man who comes to their offices almost every evening with a bunch of press releases. Dinesh Suchak greets everyone with Namaste and hand over his reports. These reports are mainly about the religious discourses, or rituals, or visits of religious, spiritual personalities to the city. Written in fluent classic Hindi, most of them are carried ‘as it is’ in Nagpur’s prominent Hindi dailies. Marathi and English newspapers, too, give due placement to them. Suchak’s reports have their own value for newspapers and their readers. His activity is unique, and his personality, too.

Since last 25 years, Dinesh Suchak circulates press notes, but he is more than just a PR activist. He gets payment from organisers for writing, but he is more than an adverstising agent. Suchak writes about a ‘beat’ which is traditionally neglected by journalists over the years -- religious events, discourses and rituals. In fact, these events are crowd-pullers and very important for newspapers in readership point of view. Suchak provides a proper reporting of these events and acts as a mediator between Nagpur’s print media and religious event organisers. Suchak acts as a bridge joining different cadres of society with each others. Profoundly religious in nature, he believes that he was destined to do this job.

“Otherwise, why would a businessman’s son appear for Rashtrabhasha Kovid Hindi Examinations and become ‘Kovid’ (graduate) in Hindi language?” he asks. “I was a businessman. Journalism was nowhere in my thoughts,” Suchak recalls from his early days when he used to be in marketing of colour chemicals for powerloom workers of Jabalpur region.

“Two wars between India and Pakistan affected adversely on powerloom business and we suffered major losses. On the verge of bankruptcy, I had to leave Jabalpur with a problem of survival. After paying most of the debts, my hands were almost empty. But, I had faith in God, that saved me and took me to the other way,” Suchak, who had gained some exposure of journalism while being with his reporter friends in Jabalpur, says.

Nagpur, being his native place, made his struggle quite sustainable. Suchak mentions many great names in journalism and religious fields who gave him a strong backing during his early days.

“It was 1987, when my article on Chhote Jalarambappa appeared in ‘Nav Bharat’. Since then, Nagpur’s traditional ‘Ram Janmostsava Shobhayatra’, and other events became my specialities.

Suchak devotionally mentions blessings by Acharya Dongre Maharaj he received earlier in his career. A simple call by Asaramji Bapu, or a smile by Sudhanshu Maharaj is of a great importance for him.

Suchak believes in all religions and works for Jain, Sindhi, Gujarati and Sikh religious events, too. At 66, he personally goes on field reporting and writes reports. He has mastered over skills of using mobile phone, internet. Started with a bicycle, he used to hire an autorickshaw to take his daily round of Nagpur newspapers. Now, he owns a car. His driver is a Muslim who offers Namaz for five times in a day.
“While working for rival newspapers, I must take care not to be channel of loose talks or spread hatred. Being religious helps me in the same,” he says.

In his residence-cum-office in crowded lanes of Itwari, Suchak is available day-long. Three years ago, he had a bypass surgery. “Doctors told me to avoid exertion. But, I can’t rest for long,” when Suchak says, one realises that his functional heart may have been operated, but his original one lies in his work.

Cutting of the same article published in The Hitavada.