5.1 Introduction
The challenges to be dealt with in this series (marked as Part CD—period from 1982 to 1996) relate to the period from October, 1982 to July, 1996. This period has been covered in two parts namely Part C (period from 1978 to 1987) and Part D (period from 1987 to 1996), as defined in Figure P.1 of the Preface. For the convenience of the readers, it has been reproduced below:
The initiatives for publishing a technical fortnightly news-record called The Construction Tribune were taken in the early part of my professional life in Tocklai Experimentation Station (TES—now TTRI, Jorhat, Assam) during Part C (Figure P. 1.1,0—shown above), as briefly stated under subhead 3.12 (Chapter III). Since then, this news-record was under publication till the early part of 1996. A lot of challenges were encountered during this period of thecontinuation of its publication. Against the challenges so faced, there were immense benefits as well. For presenting a discussion on both the aspects of challenges faced and benefits which accrued, a flowchart appearing in Figure 5.1 has been systematically followed.
The salient aspects of this technical news-record are discussed below under the subheads, as chosen through the flowchart of Figure 5.1.
5.2 The Objective (Figure 5.1)
5.2.1 General: As stated in the subhead 3.12 under Chapter III, I had to leave the life of teaching and research under a special situation to start my career in the construction industry in a world-famous tea research institute. In this great researchinstitute, as an engineer I had to play the role of an engineer taking care of different aspects of maintenance and construction of different infrastructure necessary for supporting the activities of tea-research in the organization. In fact, my role was the one supporting the scientific community without a direct role in the research activities. This situation of my role in this great institute led to the growth of a kind of frustration in my mind, since I joined this institute with a strong background of effective teaching and research in the field of structural engineering—an area looked upon as highly honored and valuable in the construction industry. This feeling of frustration kept on striking my mind for finding a workable way for keeping myself in touch with the world of teaching and research in my domain of specialization. This is precisely the reason that encouraged me to go for publishing and editing this technical news-record. My decision to take up this challenging task was backed by my firm belief to the effect that, this fortnightly would be a compulsion for me to be in touch with the academic world relating to my field of specialization. While taking this decision, I did not even think of the possible challenges to crop up while proceeding with this journey and started the preparatory actions for the launch of inaugural issue.
5.2.2 The set objectives:
At that stage, I was a regular reader of a number of international/national technical journals in addition to one technical news-record published from U.K. Based on the knowledge derived from these journals/news-record coupled with my own understanding of the then-prevalent conditions of construction industry in India, the objectives for my own technical news-record were well formulated. The objectives so set were as given below:
(a) To report on:
* Technical details of projects undertaken in North Eastern Region,
* Cost-trends for planning, designing and estimating,
* New construction methods and materials and
* Project management with emphasis on quality control in execution of projects.
(b) To publish articles on:
* Activities of different bodies dealing with construction projects,
* Different aspects of development of technical manpower,
* Other relevant aspects of construction industry and
* Different aspects of economic growth of NE region in particular.
(c) To publish advertisements on:
* Tender notifications for different construction projects and
* Advertisements relating to construction techniques and materials.
(d) To create a forum for:
* An effective discussion purely on technical issues.
The editorial policy for pursuing the above-noted objectives was also firmly set. This policy aimed at pursuing and encouraging only the constructive (positive) activities by discouraging the destructive (negative) activities at any cost.
5.3 The Launching of CT (Figure 5.1)
5.3.1 General: I had no experiences of publishing a news-record of this type prior to entering into this challenging domain. Against this background, initially I was honestly at a loss as to decide upon the different preparatory works to be systematically taken up for the launching of the inaugural issue. Even then, I prepared a list of items of works to be pursued for launching the inaugural issue of this technical news-record on a particular night of December, 1981. My time during the day was to be fully devoted for the busy schedule of official activities of TES. Obviously, I utilized my available time of the night for this new venture. I started my works on the basis of the list of items of works so prepared. A brief discussion on some of the salient items of works pursued for the launch of the inaugural issue has been presented under different subheads to follow.
5.3.2 Messages collected from dignitaries: The first follow-up actions pursued was to approach a few dignitaries for messages for the inaugural issue of The Construction Tribune. I had a few renowned teachers in the technical institutes. I approached two of them for this purpose. Having failed to get the desired messages from them, I decided to go to Shillong (Meghalaya) to personally approach a few dignitaries of North Eastern Council (NEC), a statutory advisory body constituted under the NEC Act 1971 (84 of 1971). This body came into being on the 7th November, 1972 at Shillong (Meghalaya). During its inauguration(21), the then Hon’ble Prime Minister Smt. Indira Gandhi had announced—I should like to assure you that suggestions made by the Council and the projects drawn up by it will be considered with particular attention by the Planning commission and also the various Ministries of the Government of India. I can assure you that any worthwhile idea that it might propose as being of tangible benefit to the region will not suffer for wants of funds. On a working day of early part of 1982, I met Mr. Gian Chand, the then-Secretary of NEC in his office chamber in Shillong.
I introduced myself to him and briefly explained my primary objective of approaching him along with typed copy of the set objectives (as stated under subhead 5.2.2. With great interest, he read the sheet of objectives and queried—-May I please know your technical background! In response to his query, I briefly stated my background. Thereafter, he commented—-Very good, you are the right person to take up a venture of this type. I am very glad for the reason that a publication of this type will contribute immensely towards the desired pace of development needed for the NE region. You will get all possible supports from my end. On hearing him saying so, I felt truly encouraged and my energy to carry on with tasks ahead got intensified. Further, he stated that the message requested for would be sent by post within a few days. In addition, he took out a bundle of typed papers from the drawer of his table and by handing over the same to me he stated—Dr. Barua, these papers include different aspects of works we have been doing for the development of the region. You can publish the appropriate portions in your news-record, the way you desire. I expressed my deep gratitude to him for the way I was received and my ideas were welcome and took leave from him.
The next person approached in Shillong that day itself was the Chairman of the NEC. Those days, the Governor of Meghalaya was, in fact the Chairman. Therefore, straightway from the NEC secretariat I went to the Governor’s Bhawan. I did not have the opportunity of meeting the Governor in person. However, I left in his office a letter to him through which a message from him (the Chairman, NEC) also for the inaugural issue of ‘The Construction Tribune’ was prayed for.After a few days, the two messages —one from the Hon’ble Chairman, NEC and the other from the Secretary, as requested for were received at Jorhat. These two messages, so received encouraged me immensely for pursuing the activities concerning the launching of the inaugural issue. The messages from these two dignitaries of NEC have been reproduced(22) below.
(a). Message from the then-Chairman of NEC
The Construction Industry, the world over, has emerged as one of the most important sectors of the present-day economy. The advent of freedom, and more particularly the launching of a large number of developmental programs in our country under the Five-Year Plan has also added a new dimension to the Construction Industry in our country.
Since in a developing country like ours, where construction industry involves a large number of unorganized labors engaged in sectors like road building, erection of dykes and dams and construction of buildings, a major problem ofhuman welfare is also intimately related, along with the development of industry as such.
It is in the fitness of things that a new publication styled as ’The Construction Tribune’ is going to be published from Jorhat with the objective of providing a general forum for communicating the modern ideas concerning the construction industry. The publication, I am sure, would be able to create greater awareness among the planners, engineers and workers in this region about the vital importance of this industry and also about the urgency of ensuring the welfare of the large number of people—men and women engaged in the industry. I convey my best wishes for the success of the publication.
Sd/ Prakash Malhotra
(b) Message from the then-Secretary of NEC
The Construction Industry plays a major role in the economy of highly industrialized nations today. In our country also, the Construction Industry has emerged as an important contributor of growth in the wake of large number of developmental schemes implemented under the five-year plans both in the public and private sectors. However, in comparison with the existing industries within the region, the research and development in the construction industry have been found to be quite handicapped in view of the extremely inadequate level of financial support and very low availability of technical expertise.
In such a situation, the initiative for bringing out a fortnightly technical publication namely ‘The Construction Tribune’ from this region primarily devoted to construction industry is indeed highly commendable. The publication, it is hoped, would provide a useful forum for dissemination of essential data and information and in focusing the basic issues in the solution of which the industrialization of this region would be an easy process.
I congratulate the organizers on their commendable initiative and hope that the publication would be able to create necessary awareness in this region about the vital importance of construction industry in economic life of this region.
Sd/ Gian Chand
Dated 9th August, 1982
In addition to the above-noted two messages, I got messages (for the inaugural issue) from other dignitaries as well. The one received from the then-Chairman of the Institution of Engineers (India), Assam State Centre has also been reproduced22 below.
(c) Message from the then-Chairman of the Institution of Engineers (India), Assam State Centre.
It is indeed gratifying to note that Dr. H. K. Barua and his team of young engineers with a flair to write articles on technical matters are coming forward to publish a fortnightly technical journal styled as ‘The Construction Tribune’. The first issue of this journal is likely to be available to the readers in the first week of September, 1982. The Construction Tribune will be the first fortnightly technical journal to be published from the North Eastern Region. I wish the venture all success.
The engineering and technical problems of the region have special characteristics. Such problems can be sorted out through discussions. The journal should provide a forum for such discussions. I am confident, technical persons of this region will come forward and contribute valuable materials to the journal with a view to benefit their counterparts working in different organizations and practicing.
Sd/ P. Bharali
Dated 17th August, 1982
5.3.3 Pursuance of other aspects for the launching of the first issue of the Fortnightly: The kind of responses received fromthe dignitaries, as clearly evidenced by the above-noted messages provided me with the courage and conviction to go on pursuing the other associated measures for the launching of the first issue with full energy and devotion. The measures pursued primarily included—(a) An office in the city of Jorhat, (b) Choosing a printing press, (c) Organizing the contents for the first issue. (d) Consideration of the aspects of distribution and marketing, (e) Fixation of date and venue for the launching of the inaugural issue etc. The time available to me at that stage was only the night, since the whole day (including occasional nights for attending to emergency situations) was to be devoted to my official duties in TES (as reflected in the last Chapter). Naturally, there was no difficulty in finding 4 to 6 hours daily for this challenging venture. Life became truly hectic for me. In fact, I did enjoy that hectic period. A brief discussion on the pursuance of theworks of this preparatory stage has been presented below.
(a) An office was organized in a small building taken on rental basis at A.T. Road, Tarajan of the city. The location of the office so organized was very close to the plot of land purchased at my end only a year back. This was so chosen with the hope of eventually constructing the permanent office building in our own plot of land.
(b) One of my friends had a printing press in a place close to my rented office. Those days, there was no facilities for offset-printing in that city. The letter press printing was done naturally with manually operated printing machine. I was granted a discounted cost per page.
(c) The organising of the required contents for the inaugural issue was carefully done keeping in mind the aspect of conformity with the set objectives of the fortnightly news record. This task was greatly facilitated by the documents given by the Secretary of the NEC (Mr. Gian Chand—Image 5.1) during my visit to Shillong (as already stated under subhead 5.3.2).
(d) The distribution and marketing of the news-record was indeed a domain, in which I was totally inexperienced. However, I gathered courage to go ahead with this task as well on the basis of the fact that, by then I had the fortune of having a strong community of engineers in the society. This community, in fact comprised two parts—-the first part being the engineers of my contemporary period (including my batchmates) and the second part consisting of the engineers whom I taught in the engineering colleges during my first span of teaching profession (from 1966 to 1978). I was fully confident of having their sincere support in respect of this domain. Even to contact them, I needed persons in my team of distribution and marketing. To achieve this objective, two young boys (not with technical qualifications) were appointed immediately and placed in the newly setup office of the city.
(e) It was at that stage I started looking into the legal aspects of carrying on with a publication of this type. The registration of a newspaper/periodical like this with the Registrar of Newspapers for India (RNI) (Now Press Registrar General of India—PRGI) was a basic necessity. However, it was not taken up at that stage, since the condition to the effect that a few issues of the newspaper/periodical had to be published for being eligible to formally apply for the required registration with the RNI was a basic necessity. Naturally, it was delayed.However, all other activities including the arrangement of the contents, editing etc. for the launching of the inaugural issue proceeded as planned and scheduled.
5.3.4 The Launching of the Inaugural Issue (To be continued in the next Post of the blog)
References:
21. https://necouncil.gov.in/about-us/nec-act-1971-0
22. The Construction Tribune, Vol. A1 dt. 10.09. 1982