M E D I A

Media Meet in Chandigarh:
Writing needs to stand the test of time

IT was an evening full of pure joy and reverie for those who had studied here and passed out to achieve new horizons. Some were seen laughing over memories of adorning crisp scribe outfit, sharpening the senses and keeping the 5Ws and 1H 'morally' alive while others were found mulling over the fact as to why were not  they still a part of the University.

The alumni meet of the mass communication department of  Panjab University was an event that encompassed scores of bigwigs from the media industry including Mr. Chaitanya Kalbag, Editor in Chief, Hindustan Times, Shekhar Gupta, Editor in Chief, Indian Express and a lot many media professionals from various news channels and dailies.

S.D. Bhambri from 1944 batch was also present among the august gathering.

Talking about the challenges of journalism Kalbag said, "Being here is an absolute pleasure. Journalism is challenging and male dominated. Though when I got to visit the same department in Lahore, there were a lot of girls as a part of the course. The writings need to stand the test of time and need to be more ethical and honest."

He also guided the students about retaining credibility and not making everything a scoop.

Thanking his alma mater, Kanwar Sandhu said, "I owe a lot to the department. Guidance and freedom is what has been offered to me throughout. The hallmark of this department has been the fact that it does not merely teach you but shows you the path in the right direction. I had been looking forward to the event for quite some time now. Talking about the old times he mentioned about the old building of the department and missing the moments that he shared with his friends"

Nostalgia flowed more as the meet also had an audio visual presentation about the department showcasing the foundation, glorious history and it’s present.

Welling of eyes was a common sight so was the glitter of laughter every now and then.

An interactive session between the present students and alumni was also organized where students talked about their future plans. The event actually brought together the talented and capable professionals who shared their expertise in turn benefiting the future media professionals. The dinner and ball followed the interactive session.

In everybody's life the time spent in the University and college is the most memorable time of one's life. But in today's world of taller buildings and compartmentalized living one has conquered outer space even though the inner space remains vacant so this alumni meet provided everybody with the time of their life and helped them relive the old times.

The event was partially sponsored by Fashion Technology Park- a project of its kind and an institution giving fashion a global exposure for the first time in Chandigarh.

Reported by Satyendra Singh Dhull

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