Joseph Anthony Gathia, an author, journalist, and children’s rights campaigner has been chosen for the Swami Devanand Chakkungal Award for Hindi literature, instituted by the Indian Catholic Press Association (ICPA) and sponsored by the SVD (Divine Word) congregation, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, central India.
His articles have been published in major Hindi newspapers: Jansatta (Indian Express Group), Nav Bharat Times (The Times of India Group), Dainik Bhaskar, Dainik Hindustan (The Hindustan Times Group), Rajasthan Patrika, Rashtriya Sahara, Sahara Samay, Aaj Samaj, Kuber Times, and many other newspapers.
Gathia was the bureau chief of India’s first Hindi weekly newspaper, Chouthi Duniya, a secular publication. Also, he has the rare honor of being invited to write for the famous Hindi magazine Hans, edited by renowned Hindi novelist (late) Rupendra Yadav and founded by Prem Chand, the legendary Hindi literary figure, according to an ICPA press release.
He began his journalistic journey by joining the Francis de Sales School of Journalism in New Delhi, run by Jesuit Father John Barrett. After successfully completing the course, Father Barrett asked him to work for a Catholic weekly newspaper, Sanjeevan. He began his career as a reporter in 1971 and worked his way up to become editor of the weekly.
Gathia, through his writings and campaign in association with the civil liberty groups headed by Justice Tarkunde, Justice Rajender Sachhar, and noted journalist Kuldeep Nayyar, influenced the policies of the then government on issues of child labor and compulsory primary education for all children.
Gathia has been a member of many fact-finding committees of human rights groups and was a member of the fact-finding committee on Kashmir along with Justice R. Sakha, human rights activist Kannabiran, and Kuldeep Nayyar. In 2002, he was one of the five members of the fact-finding team on the Gujarat riots. In 1999, he was a member of a group that investigated violence against Christians in the Dangs in Gujarat, western India, and Jhabua in Madhya Pradesh, a state in central India.
He has written many books and articles in English and Hindi. The latest book by Gathia is Aadhunik Bharat Nirman main Esaeiyat ka Yogdan (2023).
The award will be conferred on September 23, 2023, during the 28th National Convention of Christian Journalists, organized by the ICPA, scheduled to be held at Ashir Bhawan, Kochi, Kerala, south India. - Santosh Digal
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