He was not only in favor of journalism, its language or its principles. He also stood for his city Lucknow and his country Hindustan through his reports. The lotus stood for old Lucknow before it turned into a fire of hatred in the name of religion. First the language of its ruler changed. Earlier, people holding constitutional posts spoke of violence, bullets and sending people into their lives. Despite this, Kamal stood tall like his Imambara, without which Lucknow is incomplete.
No one can understand Kamal by taking him out of that Lucknow. A journalist who had always been known for his work, his identity was now tied to his religion. Some people within the government started distancing themselves from him. Kamal lived it by the famous grace of Lucknow. “You know how it is,” he would sometimes say; “If I ask, they will say he is Muslim”. When they kept trying to push him towards the identity of his religion, he drew himself closer to the people. Every last report of his is a witness to this.
It is a proof of Kamal’s achievement that today people remember him and remember his work. It often becomes ritualistic but the way his work is today all over social media, from his work to his iconic PTC (Piece to Camera), shows the impact Kamal left on his audience. Twitter is flooded with sections of his reports. Kamal Khan is His work is his monument.
Kamal Khan was known for his mastery over the language.
It is only through that work that we know Kamal Khan. And they needed to know to understand that no man becomes Kamal Khan Lion By Ahmed Faraz and Habib Jalib. He would think all day, read and write all day long even for a two minute report. Those who worked with him knew that lotus is like this brother Work done. It is an inspiration to see someone do their job with so much respect and dedication. If one collects hundreds of his reports on Ayodhya, it will be known that Kamal Khan had an Ayodhya different from the political narrative of Ayodhya. How easily he could have spoken about Ayodhya burning in the fire of hatred. His words quelled these flames. He also immersed himself in Tulsidas’s Ramayana and Gita. He was not a journalist who used to pick up a line or two from somewhere to illuminate his report and call it a day. They knew that the society of Uttar Pradesh was steeped in religion. And it was politics that turned that devotion into anger. Kamal must have studied countless religious books to speak to that society. And so when he spoke, they stopped and listened.
Because Kamal Khan can go through your eyes into your soul and shake your conscience with delicate hands and remind you that at the end of it all, what really matters is love and brotherhood. And that is exactly what the religion and the elders of the land of Uttar Pradesh have always taught. The authority with which Kamal Khan could report on disputes relating to Rama and Krishna was unmatched. Because he had a lot of hard-earned knowledge to back it up. Whenever he used to go to Varanasi, he used to come back with a bundle of books. Before the time of Google, wherever Kamal Khan went to report, he used to take his books.
Tribute to Kamal Khan at the Ghats of Ganga in Varanasi.
The more disciplined he was, the more strict he was. He often said no and was never a reporter who would say yes to everything. Kamal Khan saying yes means someone in the newsroom heaved a sigh of relief. He did not say it casually or obstinately but explained the reason behind not telling the story in detail. In doing so, Kamal Khan reminded those around him of a principle that should not be forgotten – be it a seasoned editor or a new reporter. The more a journalist says no, with good reason, the more he protects his organization from weak and accurate reporting.
There will never be another Kamal Khan. Because this country has lost the moral strength to repeat the process of becoming Kamal Khan. Even though there are countless journalism institutes in this country where Kamal Khan is admired, and there are journalists who aspire to be like him, the institutions no longer have the backbone to look after him. Forget about raising them for three decades. Otherwise, the eloquence and dignity that every other channel celebrates today would have reflected somewhere in their content. Kamal Khan was the star of NDTV. His words will continue to twinkle with the light of peace and grace.
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