A Day to Remember

11th September 2010 will be a day to remember for the Faculty of Journalism and Communication, MSU. 28 senior and junior students made history as they featured in the Divya Bhaskar Anniversary edition dated 12th September 2010. While many might not cherish this day, I for one, will never forget it.

Having heard of the printing process of newspapers for years, I had never actually been witness to one. And frankly I wasn't quite thrilled about the idea.

On 11th Sep, we were invited to Divya Bhaskar Press to be a part of their 6th year anniversary celebrations. Seated at the conference table, we heard the Dy Editor Mr. Vishwajit Parekh declare that the anniversary edition of the paper would be brought out with the combined efforts of the students of FJC as well as the Divya Bhaskar team. We were the guest editors of the day and we were thrilled.

Leaving aside the fact that we weren't as involved in the process as we had thought, the printing process was the highlight of the trip.

As we were taken into the printing area, the massive machinery that covered almost the entire floor took us by surprise. Expensive and highly advanced technology was being used for an 'item' that we don't even think twice about. We pick up the papers in the morning, read it and keep it aside. And that's where the journey of the newspaper ends and no one even thinks about how it got to their doorstep in the first place.


As we watched the numerous plates being made and inserted into the printing press, we saw countless rolls of newsprint all around.

Finally the moment that most of us had been waiting for arrived.

We heard the machines roll into action..the newsprint sliding from one corner of the room to the other like a conveyor belt..the clicking of some buttons..the groan of machines..the chatter of the men in the room..all of this slowly at first..but as moments passed, the action multiplied 10 folds..the noise got louder..the orders became more hurried and frantic..we watched in rapt attention as the first newspaper fell onto the conveyor belt with a soft thud..and then, before our eyes, it began to happen..it was nothing short of a miracle...we held our breath as newspapers began to fall onto the belt with increasing speed...we watched the colours change..watched as paper after paper was being produced in a fashion that is unlike anything I had ever seen..Our hearts beat in unison..like the machines around us..

It was unbelievable..like a baby being born..having seen what the day's paper would look like on the computer screen just a few hours ago, seeing it in 'flesh' was a completely different feeling. I held the warm paper between my fingers and couldn't shake off that feeling of awe and amazement..

We walked out of the press at 1:30 am, still unsteady yet overcome by the entire experience. As we stood talking, a man came along on his bicycle, carrying the last tea container of the day.He stopped near us and poured us all a cup of tea each. And I couldn't help smiling..

With my latest cup of tea and my earliest copy of the newspaper, I walked out of the Divya Bhaskar premises.