Dubai: A group of freelance professional journalists of Karnataka in UAE met recently to discuss their role and at the same time honoured the visiting very famous criminal investigative reporter Vijayalakshmi Shibaroor in Dubai. The brief programme was held at Fortune Plaza Hotel in Al Ghusais on Friday the 13th November, 2015 at 11 AM and concluded at 2.30 pm with sumptuous lunch.

The programme was presided by Sarvotham Shetty, President of Abu Dhabi Karnataka Sangha and Praveen Shetty of Fortune Group of Hotels. Along with them, Chief Guest Vijayalakshmi Shibaroor shared the dais as Vinay Naik who initiated the meet welcomed them on the stage with his imitable style.

Vinay Naik invited Sarvotham Shetty to do the honours of welcome speech who in his welcome note cited the importance of those journalists of Karnataka in UAE who report the happenings of Karnataka based programmes in UAE dedicatedly and timely. He also stressed that these people who do the thankless job indeed needs to be highlighted as they are the ones who show to the world of the important happenings in the mere click of their fingers in seconds. Further he appealed to the organisers of various programmes in UAE to honour these journalists well in advance during the programme. Later Praveen Shetty spoke few things highlighting the role of journalists in UAE. He also mentioned that there are certain limitations in reporting news here unlike in India or elsewhere.

Later Vinay invited and introduced all the journalists & media representatives to Vijayalakshmi. Ramesh Suvarna, Prashant Nair, Sudhakar Thumbe, Canute Kelarai, Niyaz, Deepak, Ganesh Rai, Manohar Thonse, Prakash Payyar, Raviraj Shetty, Vivek, Irshad Moodabidri, Vijay Shetty, Iqbal Uchila, Rafiq Kolpe, Herman Lewis, Sandhya and Shodhan were all introduced who welcomed Vijayalakshmi with rose flower individually.

Soon Vinay invited Shodhan Prasad one of the senior journalist/social worker to share his views on initial reporting in UAE while there were very few websites and newspapers. Shodhan with the given time briefed on how he with his fellow friend Sujay Bendore used to travel to different parts of UAE and cover the event to daijiworld and other websites inspite of various difficulties they used to face logistically. He also mentioned about the special page in Udayavani for the gulf people and how the reports were appearing there. He also remembered the initiated selfless work they were dedicatedly doing without any monetary gains with a very few handful of people later gave birth to a large group who again carried the job with the like minded interest.

Manohar Thonse, a writer literate whose reports and ariticles used to flash in some of the leading newspapers of Karnataka was invited to share his thoughts. Manohar stressed that the knowledge of literature in very important to be a complete journalist. He explained that the real journalist needs to take the challenging role with investigative informations and then only share their reports. He added that the reports should not limit to events but also should cover other socio folk festivities and activities.

Dramatist, Writer/Poet Prakash Rao Payyar spoke on the role of 'Sanskriti' in journalism. He said that according to him the media reports should not limit to the programmes conducted but also should have the views of the reporter in the concluding paragraph so that it highlights the importance to improve the event.

Later poet writer Irshad Moodabidri, who was recently honoured by Karnataka Sangha Abu Dhabi, expressed his views about Vijayalakshmi Shibaroor in his poetic way.

Vinay then invited the Radio Media stalwart Herman Lewis to share his views on journalism in UAE. Herman while responding to the views of earlier speakers said that, one has to blame the journalist themselves for not keeping up their values, as most of the time people take them for granted. He pointed out that 'why media people are not compensated' while all other professionals are paid for their job. He mentioned that the media people needs to maintain their values and see that they are honoured for their selfless job which otherwise goes thankless.

VIBRANT CRIME REPORTER VIJAYALAKSHMI SHIBAROOR HONOURED

Vinay invited Ganesh Rai, Ex-President of Sharjah Karnataka Sangha to do the honours of felicitation to the very famous vibrant Crime Reporter Vijayalakshmi Shibaroor who was on a personal visit to Dubai.

Ganesh Rai read out the felicitation note while Vijayalakshmi was honoured with Shawl and presented with flower bouquet, fruits, memento and felicitation letter in honour of her bravery work in exposing the criminals through her crime investigative programmes in the TV channels she served so far.

In return to the felicitation, Vijayalakshmi spoke on her rough road to success which had the hurdles of passing through all the hardships, covering her emotions, passing through difficult times, breath taking adventures, sleepless nights, innumerable threats to life, sacrificing family life, de-motivation in return to sincerity, unlawful defamations etc., which was her thorny roads to success and which blended her into a strong and brave lady shape. Her story boosted the journalists in the premises who accepted her as a role model.

While citing examples of her live breathtaking sting operations and current experience in her day today media life, she also briefed on to how she was brought up, how the flame of fighting against crime developed in her, how she once wanted to become a sanyasin following Swamy Vivekanandas principles and who changed her direction into becoming journalist and finally how she opted to the Criminal Investigative Journalism to become someone different from rest of the lot in this field.

The iron lady from Kateel has now become a terror for the Criminal minded Ministers, Looters, Bootleggers, Notorious Gangsters etc., and because of her criminal investigative exposure through the television media, there seems to be some positive decline in the day today immoral activities especially in Karnataka. She is never afraid of her life and puts her soul into the work which she thoroughly enjoys. She is thankful to her family especially her husband for being so understanding in her real life journalism.

There were questions from the audience for which she smilingly replied one by one with interesting answers.

Her story gave a moral boost to all those who witnessed the programme and which indeed was a proud moment specially for the freelance group of Kannadiga journalists to share with. Her fighting instinct is still reflecting in her eyes and will surely take her to greater heights. We need many Vijayalakshmi's in this fight against corruption and crime, but sad to hear that currently very few come forward in this fight.

The programme got concluded with vote of thanks by Vivek and sumptuous buffet lunch.