-Brian Mendonça
It was one of those days at work.
For a long time the research journal of our institution had been lying
defunct. It had a glimmer of glory for
two issues and then ceased publication for almost a decade. When I was one of a
team entrusted the task to resurrect it I approached it warily. How could I
inject new enthusiasm into the status quo
for a venture which was already on the rocks with a morass of misgiving?
Still.
Had I not conceived the bulletin
of the institution three years ago and was one of the founding editors? And was
I not on the team which turned out the institution’s annual magazine last year.
True, some found it drab since it was low on colour pages, but given the budget
it fitted in nicely – without ads. Curiously I am waylaid in the corridors by colleagues
with whom I hardly have a chance of interacting, calling out, ’Brian, we have
sent you updates for the bulletin. Please check.’ Or, ‘Should I send the sports
report for the magazine to you?’ And then I have to gently tell them,
‘So-and-so is handling the bulletin / magazine.’
Now that our team for the research journal (appointed by the
institution) is planning to bring out its first issue I took the opportunity to
call for the cooperation of my colleagues at a meeting. The moment I sat down the
prime mover of the earlier version of the journal asked ‘Why was the name of
the journal changed?’ It was pointed out to the person that since there was no
continuity we were required by the issuing authorities to seek a fresh mandate
to obtain the International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) – something which the
earlier journal did not have. Visibly
miffed, the person virtually declared the fledgling venture persona non grata by saying no one would
want to submit a paper for a journal which has just started without an ISSN
number. I said this is precisely the attitude we have to change and we did not
need the negative energy in the first place. Besides, the credibility of a
publication in the first place was that it had to be published. So now when
some others were taking the initiative why sulk?
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Published in Gomantak Times Weekender St. Inez, Goa on Sunday 4 May 2014. Pix.Krishnamurti addresses an audience in California; www(dot)junglekey.com
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