A Tribute to Alfred D’Cruz on his First Death Anniversary
By Sunil D’Cruz
The year is 1947. There is excitement in the air as India gains Independence on 15th August, after over 200 years of British rule. And Mr. Alfred D’Cruz, the first Indian sub-editor of The Times of India, Mumbai, is excited to capture the mood of the nation with the headline 'India wakes up to a new life' .
“1947 was the most exciting period in Indian journalism. There was a lot happening,” recalled Mr. D’Cruz who edited and brought out the daily editions of The Times of India, Mumbai for 35 years from 1947 to 1982. “I was thrilled to be selected by the then British Editor, Sir Francis Low and to be the only Indian sub-editor among Englishmen at the editorial desk.”
Mr. Alfred D'Cruz who studied at St. Xavier's College, Mumbai and secured B.A. (Hons) in English Literature, was the only scribe to write the popular 'Round & About' column in the Evening News of India for some time when the late ‘Busybee’ alias Behram Contractor was on leave.
After his retirement as Chief Sub-Editor in 1982, he continued with the Times of India Group as the Editor of India’s best comprehensive reference book: ‘The Times of India Directory and Year Book 1984', including Who’s Who in India, featuring prominent personalities. The book was listed among the best in the Directory of Directories, Michigan, U.S.A. and soon became a best seller in India, US, UK and Europe.
After his stint with The Times of India for 40 years from 1947 to 1987, Mr. Alfred D'Cruz worked as the News Editor with The Sunday Observer, Mumbai (India’s first exclusive Sunday newspaper) from 1986 to 1989. Thereafter, at the age of 67, he joined The Kuwait Times, as its Assistant Editor. He was at the editorial desk when Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990 and was instrumental in breaking the news to the world. Later put up in tents for months in the Jordan desert along with other Indian expatriates, on one apple and one tomato a day, he was among the last to be evacuated by a relief flight before the Gulf War broke out.
Working at a time when computers, Internet and email were yet to become the buzzwords, he toiled zealously, sometimes until 4 a.m., in the hot metal press giving his go-ahead to proofs and photographic blocks, so that people could enjoy reading their newspapers along with their hot morning cup of tea or coffee. Usually working the late night shift, he edited and put together countless newspaper pages.
Mr. Alfred D’Cruz trained budding journalists and reporters in all media companies he worked for. He always published news items for worthy causes and to encourage budding talent in medicine, sports, music and other fields. He covered the Giles Shield and the Harris Shield inter-school cricket tournaments in Mumbai to discover new talent.
Mr. Alfred D’Cruz, who was always fascinated about the places where he lived and worked, documented the same. He was a co-author of the book of his native village Saligao, titled ‘Focus on a picturesque Goan village’. The book mirrors two cultures, Indian and European, spanning four centuries. The book was selected for the Library of Congress and 20 major Universities in the U.S.A.
Moreover, when the Times of India completed 147 years in 1985, he brought out a special eight-page supplement titled `Down the corridors of Times’ which was a research historical study of the making of the century-old newspaper from its inception. He also wrote for another supplement Metamorphosis and Makers of Mumbai. He documented the history of St Theresa’s Parish where he resided.
Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi and Lokmanya Tilak, as a student of St Xavier’s College, Mumbai, from 1942 to 1947, Mr. Alfred D’Cruz took part in the student satyagraha Quit India movement against the British. As a freedom fighter, Mr. Alfred D’Cruz also wrote articles to arouse public sentiment during the Goa Liberation Movement from Portuguese rule.
Mr. Alfred D’Cruz was honoured posthumously with the Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Journalism by the Journalist Association of India (JAI) in New Delhi on September 22, 2012.
Born on 23rd November 1921, Mr. Alfred D’Cruz contributed to the enrichment in the field of journalism for 65 years from 1947 to 2012 and is known by the newspaper fraternity as the ‘Eternal Newspaperman’ and is fondly remembered on his First Death Anniversary on 1st June, 2013.