Tributes paid to eminent journalist and author Virendra Sengar at Constitution Club
SUNIL NEGI
Tributes were paid yesterday to the late veteran journalist Virendra Sengar who died of cardiac arrest at the age of 69 at Naukuchiatal, Nainital the other day sending shock waves in the entire fraternity.
A eminent journalist Veerendra Sengar had a journalistic career spanning more than four decades having worked in senior positions right from Chauthi Duniya to Sunday Mail to Total TV to Amar Ujala Daily, a leading paper of Western UP and several news channels including authoring few books.
The condolences meeting was held at Constitution Club , Rafi Marg, New Delhi attended by good number of journalists, writers, bureaucrats and his relatives.
Santosh Bhartiya , the former editor of Chauthi Duniya, popular Hindi newspaper under whose leadership Veerendra Sengar commenced his journalistic journey in Delhi said that Sengar was in true sense a hard core investigative journalist whose coverages of most challenging Hashimpura, Maliyana, Meerut UP and Godhra riots are remembered till date. He covered all the farmers movements led by Tikaith meticulously and his outstanding coverages are remembered till date which made him popular in the journalistic arena. While paying his heartfelt tributes and deepest condolences Santosh Bhartiya , a senior journalist and former MP said that the contribution of Sengar in journalism as a dedicated insightful journalist is highly laudable and we miss him not only as a legendary investigative journalist to the core but also as a good and compassionate human being who always wrote for the poor, oppressed and depressed and critical of the governments never compromising on journalistic ethics and principles even ready to resign. Terming him as a very well connected journalists with top politicians and bureaucrats Santosh Bhartiya said that he was friend to all and his relations were only to extract news from them nothing else as he never took any advantage from these politicians except helping the hapless, poor and his friends in need.
His neighbour in Naukuchiatal and a retired IAS officer Nirmalji/ Vimal ji who took Virendra Sengar to hospital alone when his condition deteriorated said that apart from a veteran journalist he was a thorough gentleman who had premonition before his death. He came to me and started narrating the story of entire journalistic journey right from his assignments at Chouthi Duniya to other publications as if he was in a hurry. I interrupted him in between and we had tea twice but unfortunately he collapsed and after reaching the hospital couldn’t be revived. We still didn’t lost hopes and took him to two other hospitals but by then he had already left for his eternal journey.
The Leader of United Janata Dal and former member of parliament K.C.Tyagi said that he had more than four years of association with Veerendra Sengar who was more a family member to him than a Journalist. Tyagi said that in his entire life he has not seen a dedicated journalist with affable nature and thorough gentleman like Veerendra Sengar who at least thrice a week was in contact with him. Lauding his every news analysis, and reporting on Godhra, Maliyana and Hashimpura riots K.C.Tyagi said that he was a risk taking journalist for fulfilling his assignment and his every report were insightful, full of anti establishment posture and daring. He never feared from anyone, was soft spoken but bold and transparent in his dealings as a journalist with his every news report fully doing justice to transparent and honest journalism.
Senior journalist and Consulting editor in Amar Ujala and a very close friend of Virendra Sengar Vinod Agnihotri said that not a day elapsed when we didn’t talk and discuss politics. Though we had differences on many issues but we were always very close. Lauding his outstanding reporting on Maliyana, Hashimpura and even Gujarat riots and his dexterity to write in Hindi winning every heart often made me jealous of him said Vinod Agnihotri adding that one of his reports with the heading ” shot in a line after corpses walked away in the melee “, win him accolades everywhere. Terming him a most respectful and affectionate friend appreciating his insightful stories full of in-depth investigation in farmers movement, riots and other challenging situations Vinod Agnihotri said that his writing and way of Hindi reporting was so unique, outstanding and laudable that he was often envy of him. Having worked together in Amar Ujala for long Vinod Agnihotri said that he always helped colleagues like me to get job when I was unemployed and so did I do when he was unemployed. We were a sort of give and take friends helping each other during employment crisis said senior journalist Vinod Agnihotri.
The noble laureate and leader of the Child Rights movement Kailash Sathyarthy while paying his tributes said that Veerendra Sengar has gone too early and unfortunately we are today standing here to pay tributes to a legendary journalists never thought of it ever, though one day everyone has to go. Lauding him as a thorough gentleman, soft spoken journalist with tremendous zeal and dedication towards his profession Sathyarthy said that he very often used to visit us at our Jantar Mantar office with Anand Swaroop Verma and we used to sip tea in the nearby Dhaba discussing the political developments and child rights movement. He was a progressive and a true people and poor centric journalist who would never compromise on principles and journalistic ethics but would prefer going and criticizing the governments. Sathyarthy said that when we were engaged relentlessly in Child rights and child protection movements the national media hardly understood us and never covered the plight of Children under attack or bonded labour etc but Veerenderji always wrote investigative stories on Child rights and protection of Child rights extensively giving us tremendous moral boost. Other who spoke on the occassion were Sarjana, daughter and wife of late Veerender Sengar whom he pronounced as Daadu, though her actual name is Ritambara, Mr Surendra Chowdhury , former Kribhko Chairman and Lok Dal leader, several journalists , writers and social activists. In the end hundreds of scribes paid their floral tributes bowing in front of his photo as a mark of reverential tributes.
