Chasing Deve Gowda

Follow us:WhatsappFacebookTwitterTelegram.cls-1{fill:#4d4d4d;}.cls-2{fill:#fff;}Google NewsHere's a look at the quirky world of the journalist, all those hours in between getting that interview or finishing a story. These photographs were taken over two days when we were shadowing former Prime Minister Deve Gowda in Delhi. Gowda may be old, but he can run when he needs to - more than once he eluded us, either pretending he wasn't at his Delhi residence or taking the back door out of the house!

5 Safdarjung Lane, 9 am, 24th Jan 2006

Gowda has just rushed in from Bangalore, but his guards aren't letting us in. And of couse, we're very, very keen to get him to talk. Why? Because his son Kumaraswamy walked out of the Congress-led govt in Karnataka to court the BJP with 46 MLA's. Our humble farmer wasn't too happy about the JD (S) joining hands with the saffron alliance, atleast publicly.



Picnic, 3 pm

But before long, we're inside. All 12-odd tv channels, various print journalists and a few hangers-on. Deve Gowda though isn't about step out. We wait, and wait and wait as the hours go by. At about 3 pm, we're extremely hungry. No problem - just send out someone to get some samosas and pepsi and the problem is solved. We picnic on the lawns of the former PM's residence.




5 pm
By 5 pm, we're clearly frustrated and angry. Deve Gowda is still inside. So we cleverly arrange our cameras right outside the front door, determined to get his reaction as soon as he leaves to meet Sonia Gandhi.



Eluding the press

71 years old he might be, but this son of the soil has very nimble feet. While we were camped out at the front door, Gowda's driver quietly reverses the Ambassador to the back door at about 6 in the evening.



Twilight

Gowda jumps into the car and zooms away. We've lost for now. Later, he will tell the press in Bangalore, "you're harassing me". For now, Gowda doesn't get what he wants from Sonia Gandhi. He resigns as JD (S) president and days later, his son H D Kumaraswamy is sworn in as Chief Minister of Karnataka, leading a JD (S), BJP coalition. Both Deve Gowda and we journalists are the losers for now, but not this gentleman, Tony Drake. Drake is extremely happy - he grew up in this house in pre-independence India. Now in his twilight years, he returns from England along with his family to bask in nostalgia. He even utters a few cuss words in Punjabi for effect.

About the AuthorH R Venkatesh H R Venkatesh is News Editor-Anchor at CNN-IBN. He has just returned from the University of Oxford where he completed an M Sc in Contemporary India as...Read Morefirst published:February 03, 2006, 16:38 ISTlast updated:February 03, 2006, 16:38 IST
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