As Mae de Deus church in Saligao, Bardez, Goa, celebrates 150 years on 26th November 2022, it is time to remember the late Alfred D’Cruz, co-author of the book of his native village, titled ‘Saligao: Focus on a picturesque Goan village’, brought out to commemorate the Centenary Celebration on 26th November 1973.
The book, illustrated by Mario Miranda, mirrors two cultures, Indian and European, spanning four centuries. The book was selected for the Library of Congress, Washington, and 20 major Universities in the U.S.A.
Interestingly, Alfred D’Cruz (who lived on 16th Road, Bandra) celebrates his Birth Centenary on 23rd November 2022. Born underweight he was wrapped in cotton wool and was not expected to live. But his godmother Mae de Deus was by his side with blessings of a long life of nearly 90 years.
A stalwart of The Times of India, Mumbai, he was also a renowned historian and author. Way back in 1947, he was hand-picked by the then-British Editor, Sir Francis Lowe at a time when Englishmen were at the editorial desk. His headline ‘India wakes up to a new life’ adorned the front page of The Times of India, Mumbai when India gained Independence.
As the Chief Sub-Editor, he edited and brought out the daily editions of the newspaper for 35 years from 1947 to 1982. He was the Editor of special supplements for the Times such as on Hon. Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and the Metamorphosis and Makers of Mumbai.
At the Times of India, Mr Alfred D’Cruz also reviewed the ‘You Said It’ cartoons by R.K. Laxman before it was published. Alfred D’Cruz who studied at St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai and secured B.A. (Hons) in English Literature, was the only scribe to write the popular ‘Round & About’ column in the Evening News of India for some time when the late ‘Busybee’ alias Behram Contractor was on leave.
After his retirement as Chief Sub-Editor in 1982, he continued with the Times of India Group as the Editor of India’s best comprehensive reference book: ‘The Times of India Directory and Year Book 1984′, including Who’s Who in India, featuring prominent personalities. The book was listed among the best in the Directory of Directories, Michigan, U.S.A. and soon became a best seller in India, US, the UK and Europe.
After his stint with The Times of India for 40 years from 1947 to 1987, Alfred D’Cruz worked as the News Editor with The Sunday Observer, Mumbai (India’s first exclusive Sunday newspaper) from 1986 to 1989. After that, at the age of 67, he joined The Kuwait Times, as its Assistant Editor. He was at the editorial desk when Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990 and was instrumental in breaking the news to the world. Later put up in tents for months in the Jordan desert along with other Indian expatriates, on one apple and one tomato a day, he was among the last to be evacuated by a relief flight before the Gulf War broke out.
Working at a time when computers, the Internet and email were yet to become the buzzwords, he toiled zealously, sometimes until 4 a.m., in the hot metal press giving his go-ahead to proofs and photographic blocks, so that people could enjoy reading their newspapers along with their hot morning cup of tea or coffee. Usually working the late night shift, he edited and put together countless newspaper pages.
Alfred D’Cruz trained budding journalists and reporters in all the media companies he worked for. He always published news items for worthy causes and encouraged budding talent in medicine, sports, music and other fields. He covered the Giles Shield and the Harris Shield inter-school cricket tournaments in Mumbai to discover new talent. He was a guest lecturer in journalism at various institutes in Mumbai.
Alfred D’Cruz, who was always fascinated by the places where he lived and worked, documented the same. When The Times of India completed 147 years in 1985, he brought out a special eight-page supplement titled `Down the corridors of Times’ which was a research historical study of the making of the century-old newspaper from its inception. He also wrote the history of St Theresa’s Parish, Bandra, where he resided.
Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi and Lokmanya Tilak, as a student of St Xavier’s College, Mumbai, from 1942 to 1947, Alfred D’Cruz took part in the student satyagraha Quit India movement against the British. As a freedom fighter, Alfred D’Cruz also wrote articles to arouse public sentiment during the Goa Liberation Movement from Portuguese rule.
Alfred D’Cruz was honoured posthumously with the Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Journalism by the Journalist Association of India (JAI) in New Delhi and the Journalist of the Year 2013 Award by the Bori Development Trust, Goa.
Born on 23rd November 1922, Alfred D’Cruz contributed to the enrichment in the field of journalism for 65 years from 1947 until his last breath on 1st June 2012 and is known by the newspaper fraternity as the ‘Eternal Newsman.’
