Sir,

Fortieth Anniversary Commemorative Issue was good. I also received an autographed copy of KBG’s book “Star of Mysore — Story of a Unique Evening English Newspaper” via his good friend, K. Vijaya Kumar. As I was then reading a historical-cum-semi-religious Kannada book, it took me some time to start reading this book.

Going through this book, I noticed that KBG’s earlier columns had a bit of sexy mischievousness! For example, he says in “PUCK” in 1979, that as far as young sex is concerned, Poona (now called Pune) takes the pride of place! He having lived in Pune in early 1970s, I would have to believe him.

However, the purpose of this letter is to admire an inherent journalistic integrity and this has been well brought out in the book. Let me explain this with my own personal experience with this newspaper. In early 1991, when I was cooling my heals in Mysuru after having forced to return from Kuwait, I read a two part Hocus-Pocus column in SOM dated 27th and 29th March respectively on Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait. Quoting “Our Man from Baghdad,” the article accused Kuwait of robbing Iraq’s oil while Iraq was at war with Iran and thereby justifying its invasion of Kuwait.

Being a technical person in the oil industry of Kuwait, I knew for certain that his man from Baghdad was totally wrong and hence wrote to SOM on Mar. 31 refuting every point raised by him. To my pleasant surprise, the editor published my version verbatim the very next day, though it contradicted his own conclusions. To me that is professional integrity and honesty!

–  U.B. Acharya, Jayalakshmipuram, 17.3.2018

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