Journalism was in his blood.
Or else why would a young boy keep working for a newspaper without being regularly paid his wages?
When he began his journalism career, he single-handedly reported, proofread, edited, laid-out, and did all other general errands to produce the bi-weekly Pacific Review. With little or sometimes no financial rewards, Vijendra Kumar reluctantly left his desired field to join the teaching profession, which could not retain him longer than about 12 years.
The magnetic force of journalism within his body was much greater than the force of satisfaction derived from a teaching career. That force pulled him back to journalism in 1969 when he joined The Fiji Times as a reporter at the newspaper’s Lautoka office.
His meteoric rise from a news reporter to a bureau manager and finally becoming the first local editor of The Fiji Times within a short span of about eight years spoke volumes of his character, commitment, dedication, and professionalism.
I was first introduced to Vijendra through our common news contact when I was a news reporter at the Fiji Broadcasting Corporation. That formal introduction turned into weekly chats, discussing a wide range of subjects and various news stories that we covered during that week.
By the time he was transferred to Suva, I had already left the FBC to venture into my own commercial printing business.
Although I was not active in journalism, our regular contacts continued and soon blossomed into a close friendship.
There was one tourist weekly newspaper known as Fiji Beach Press owned by Stinson Group of companies. They had a web newspaper printing machine. They were ceasing their operations and printing equipment was offered for sale. The newspaper printing machine attracted my interest as I had plans for reviving our family’s old weekly Hindi newspaper, Fiji Sandesh. I bought that machine and imported a Hindi typesetting machine as well.
When Vijendra heard of this purchase, he phoned me to arrange a meeting for some serious discussions. We met the same evening.
He opened his heart. He spoke of his dream—a dream of starting his own daily newspaper. He believed there was an opportunity as I now had a newspaper printing machine. He was confident that with his journalism expertise combined with my business knowledge, he could fulfill his dream.
After that initial discussion, many more meetings followed with serious discussions on financial viability, investment in raw material stocks, avenues of securing finance, recruitment of staff, and all other pros and cons of the project.
Finally, one day he advised me that his family decided not to proceed with the project due to the financial risks involved, with the most serious risk being losing the secured and respectable job with assured income.
I could see tears in his eyes while he was explaining his family’s decision to me.
As we were about to conclude our meeting that day, he told me: “Well, let my dream remain a dream for another day to come true.” Unfortunately, for Vijendra, that day never came.
Lord Krishna in Bhagwad Gita says, “Death is not an end of a journey; it is in fact a beginning of a new journey.” I wish Vijendra well in his new journey.
Aum shanti aum.
Bharat Morris is a former news reporter at the Fiji Broadcasting Corporation and a businessman.