Unassuming, yet a professional to the core was Ramu Sharma a veteran of the sports section of The Statesman’s New Delhi edition who died recently at the age of 81. In an era when journalists deem it insulting not to called “experts” or “specialists” Ramu was happy to be known as a “reporter”. For he had cut his professional teeth in the pre-television age, when enabling the reader to “feel” what had happened on the field was the acme of competence.
Ramu was well-endowed with, nay he had acquired, the descriptive powers that have now become a rarity in the newspaper world. No doubt he was guided by stalwarts when he entered the professional arena, he had the grace and discipline to learn from his peers rather than fall prey to the current trend of trying to outsmart them. In the process he imbibed a quality that has since become a rarity, a gift to encourage juniors, upgrade them while pointing to their shortcomings for their improvement translated into a better edition, and in those selfless times it was the newspaper that mattered more than any individual brilliance.
At the same time, Ramu never “talked down” to anybody, hence he was one of the most popular members of the journalistic community. Even after he retired Ramu was keen on maintaining contact with his colleagues, a weekly Wednesday lunch at the Press Club of India became a sacred congregation, until ill-health reduced to a bi-monthly affair, and finally rendered those sessions a mere memory.
Like most reporters of the time he was an all-rounder, his reportage of athletics and hockey widely appreciated. The humility of the man came through when he allowed others to report more “fanciful” football, cricket and tennis, though his knowledge of those games was widely recognized and appreciated.
Ramu never pulled his punches, neither did he see any need to throw them needlessly, he deemed himself duty-bound to promote the efforts of others. That was why he was as professionally serious when reporting an inter-school swimming meet as a national athletics championship. Never for him was it infra-dig to be seen at a local hockey or football match, and the inter-college contests for the Delhi University cricket championship was one of the prime events of his sporting calendar. So too the road races on Sunday morning to keep alive the memory of Dr Otto Peltzer.
No wonder he leaves behind many a cherished memory among local sportspersons. And he regaled himself in their company even when he would be welcomed into the pavilion at a Test match.
Reporting was indeed his forte, yet he played a role beyond that.
Not many of today’s headline-dominating pugilists will know that Ramu had toiled hard for the revival of boxing in northern India and collected around him the team that had made such a success of the New Delhi YMCA invitation boxing festival, he also worked hard for the YMCA athletics meet, but shied away from sporting a rosette, taking centre-stage at opening and closing ceremonies.
Yes, Ramu Sharma was a thorough gentleman: those privileged enough to know him would deem themselves as blessed for having had occasion to enjoy his company: an unforgettable pleasure.