Sandesh Prabhudesai
31 August 2000
The monopolised power of the House of Chowgules, one of the leading industrial group in Goa, in journalism has come to an abrupt end with both its famous newspaper publications – Gomantak (Marathi) and Gomantak Times (English) taken over by Pune-based Sakal Papers Ltd.
From tomorrow, both the publications will be managed by Prataprao Pawar, elder brother of political bigwig Sharad Pawar and managing director of the SPL. "The editorial policy will remain the same", he announced at a press conference held jointly by Pawar and Ashok Chowgule, chairman of Gomantak Pvt Ltd, today evening.
The SPL however would continue to run it as the GPL, a separate entity, while also retaining its names as well as the editorial board. Gomantak, Goa's leading Marathi daily, is presently edited by Laxman Joshi while Ashwin Tombat is the editor of Gomantak Times.
"We have sold all our shares to the SPL", said Chowgule, while expressing hope that both the newspapers would grow further with wider circulation and business opportunities provided for. He also admits that they were on a lookout for another group for the last three years since all the experiments to increase its circulation had failed.
"We have nursed Sakal as an institution, not a proprietary", claims Pawar, but also admits that social service through journalism cannot be achieved by simply sidelining the factor of profitability. By running Sakal successfully, he said they were managing 18 charitable trusts.
Both Pawar as well as Chowgule however also does not look at the development as a jolt to the small newspaper industry. "Even Sakal was small at one time and there is lot of scope for any newspaper to grow if proper strategy is adopted", opines Pawar.
Gomantak, started in March 1962 soon after liberation, has contributed a lot to develop Goan society though it could never succeed on issues like Goa's merger with Maharashtra and making Marathi the state official language. It however primarily developed as a voice of unprivileged Goan folk.
Gomantak Times, which was started 14 years ago as the third English newspaper, on the other hand came up as an organ for the intellectual rebels, providing a rational thought rather than falling prey to both the extremes - pro-establishment attitude or sensationalisation.
When asked whether it was a painful decision for him to give up his babies or he was happy with it, Umaji Chowgule, who was actually running both the publications on day-to-day basis, quipped : "well, it's a very good feeling", but did not elaborate.
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