The formula for successful leadership has changed little, if at all over the centuries. It isn’t leadership that changes over time, rather where the leaders need to take their people that changes.”
—Scott Hammerle, Lessons from the Castle
Herald --the leading English daily, is on the threshold of beginning its Ruby Anniversary on October 10, 2022. For four decades now, Herald has not only played a stellar leadership role in documenting and perspectivising the contemporary history of post Liberation Goa but has flagged and orchestrated issues that touch people's lives with unequivocal clarity, the rigour of research and with pulsating passion in their ethereal paradise of Goa.
More importantly, through its unique art of story-telling and (fourth estate) leadership, Herald has in its own humble way laid the markers and acted as a sounding board for numerous party governments and for policymakers, where they should take the State and the people.
In fact, in retrospect, Herald has truly become an institution with its objectives or goals to satisfy social needs, and for its universe of family members, who are our compulsive readers.
O Heraldo has traversed along with the agglomeration that came to be known as Goa, the historic milestones from a colonial dominion to a liberated territory of the Indian Union in 1961.
O Heraldo was a firsthand witness to the transition from a Colonial to a post-colonial entity with the Liberation of Goa by the Indian Army on 19th December 1961, under the leadership of India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. It saw the transition from the nearly six-month Military Governor's rule (from 20th December 1961 to 8th June 1962) to Civilian Governor’s rule.
Thereafter, O Heraldo was witness to the birth pangs of the introduction of democratic governance in Goa, when the first democratically elected Chief Minister Dayanand Bandodkar of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party led coalition took office on 20th December 1963 (on the second anniversary of Goa’s Liberation).
When there was disruption of Goa's harmonious social fabric during the disastrous attempt of merging Goa with Maharashtra and attempts to foist Marathi as the Official Language of Goa by the MGP and its supporting groups, O Heraldo batted for retaining Goa as a separate entity, as espoused by Leader of the Opposition Jack de Sequeira and the proponents of retaining Goa's unique identity and for hoisting Konkani as the Official Language of Goa.
In the run-up to the historic Opinion Poll of (16th January) 1967, O Heraldo orchestrated the voice and emotions of the people and unequivocally supported and mobilised the masses into retaining Goa an a Union Territory. O Heraldo also rejoiced with the people at the victory at the Opinion Poll where people voted to retain Goa as a separate Union Territory.
Throughout the nearly one-decade rule of MGP’s Dayanand Bandodkar (20th December 1963 to 12th August 1973), O Heraldo raised uncomfortable issues for the ruling dispensation and pointed out to the government whenever it erred, in the spirit of true professional ethics.
Through the Bandodkar regime and through the first Shashikala Kakodkar government (13th August 1973 to 6th June 1977) and her second government (7th June 1977 to 23rd April 1979), O Heraldo, since it was not patronised by any political party or corporate house, had the foresight to highlight in the 60s and the 70s the destruction caused by mining at the risk of antagonising the chief ministers Bandodkar and Shashikala Kakodkar in particular, who were themselves mine owners and the governments in general, which were backed by the mining lobby.
O Heraldo supported the Goan ramponkars who were fighting for 500-metre ban on fishing in coastal water by the fishing trawlers. The alleged corruption within the government, the perception by the government of the ramponkar agitation as a ‘law and order problem’, and the dissension within the MGP government led by the young brigade, finally saw the fall of the Shashikala Government on 23rd April 1979, making it the first government in Goa's short political history to be defeated on the floor of the House, on a demand for grants.
O Heraldo also witnessed to the eager expectations of the people at the emergence of the first Congress government in Goa (which changed overnight from Congress (U) to Congress (I) due to the victory of the Indira Congress at the Centre) as it was sworn in under the chief ministership of Pratapsingh Rane on 16th January 1980, the 13th anniversary of the Opinion Poll. But with the merger of the Shashikala Kakodkar faction of the MGP into the Congress along with 5 MLAs and due to a completely depleted Opposition with only two MLAs of the MGP (Shinkre Group) in the Opposition, dissension, and infighting within the Congress reigned supreme.
In fact, the high expectations of the people, with the formation of a national party government were belied, when after tortuous and continued infighting, there was a split in the first Pratapsingh Rane Ministry (16th January 1980 to 7th January 1985) during its first five years itself and the Wilfred D'Souza faction formed the Goa Congress. It was in these tumultuous times that the English Daily — Herald was born.
Why did O Heraldo changeover from Portuguese to English?
In the words of then Proprietor and Publisher Mr A C Fernandes the “readership of the Portuguese Edition was dwindling year by year”. He did not want the newspaper to close down “and end the glorious tradition of the O Herald”. Hence, he made Herald a “full-fledged English daily in the interest of continuity and to provide an independent, secular English daily committed to the highest standards of professional journalism”.
Writing on the first anniversary of the English Daily Herald, on October 10, 1984, Mr A C Fernandes wrote: “The last one year was full of trials and tribulations. We had to face many challenges. But we were able to tide over them with enthusiasm and the determination to succeed.”
Mr A C Fernandes also made a pledge to the people of Goa on the very first anniversary of the English daily Herald on 10th October 1984. He assured that “Herald would be committed to the interests and aspirations of the people of Goa”.
This pledge of the then Publisher and Proprietor, Herald has honoured and redeemed till this day - the start of the Ruby jubilee of the English edition and will continue to do so in the years to come.
Meanwhile, the person who made the changeover possible and make Herald loved and acceptable to the people of Goa, and who worked hard behind the scenes literally was his son Raul Fernandes, the current Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief of the paper. Old-timers recall how he would handle all operations from dawn to dusk across circulation, marketing and production, providing the foundation of this great institution.
Heralding a New Dawn
On the completion of the first anniversary of the English Edition, Herald had firmly cemented its place as an independent and objective daily with a fierce brand of reportage. Within one year of its new avatar, it set standards for professional journalism in the then Union Territory of Goa Daman and Diu.
In the article of the above subtitle, Herald documented that Herald won universal acceptance due to its meticulously researched and bold investigative reports, incisive editorials, and comprehensive coverage of local, national, and international news.
Technology
In 1984, Herald was the first newspaper in the Union Territory to have the latest technology with third-general electronic photo composing machines. It also had a fourth-generation German high-speed offset rotary press with the speed to produce 30,000 copies in an hour. Herald had a full-fledged photographic studio and a complete range of the most advanced colour processing equipment.
Today Herald is printed on fully automatic, state-of-the-art, high-speed full colour machines which print thousands of copies in record time and deliver it to your doorsteps, each morning, for the pleasure of your compulsive reading, as you sip your tea or coffee.
Professional Journalism committed to the people
As it was in 1983, when the English daily Herald was born, it is today, 39 years later. Herald was not aligned with any political party or community or business house. It has set a high tradition of reporting without fear or favour to anyone. As in 1983, so it is today that its investigative reportage enjoyed not only local or national, but universal acclaim.
Over the years Herald not only set high standards but was able to accomplish much despite limited resources and limitations of skills and manpower. It set out with a big vision, committed to the people of Goa and to the interests of the State, in the true spirit of professional journalism. To this, it has remained true at the start of its Ruby Jubilee (its 40th year) and will continue to do so, beyond.