CVN - the perfect PR professional

Dr C V Narasimha Reddi (87) , A lifetime PR man, reminisces Media Connect veteran SOMASEKHAR MULUGU.

CVN, lived, dreamt, talked & wrote PR. Many of us will miss him.

   It was sometime in 1982, in our Journalism class, a Public Relations Officer from the Municipal  Corporation of Hyderabad (MCH), gave a guest lecture on how the menace of street dogs was effectively managed in the twin cities of Hyderabad & Secunderabad through publicity campaign.
  Honestly, most of us heard with attention, but I felt it more funny than serious. Stray dog menace was indeed serious, rabies common and in Telugu it was commonly called ‘Pichai Kukkala’ problem and people dreaded walking in some areas.
  But, the class became unforgettable as a few months later, I was a Journalist with the Press Trust of India (PTI) and this officer was in our office meeting my manager Mr Sham Rao Harnur. Mr Harnur introduced me again and I reminded him of the class lecture. The Gentleman & PR professional was CV Narasimha Reddi.
   Soon, I realised that the stray dog exercise did have an affect, but the bigger campaign that the MCH began was with the slogan “ Ours is a beautiful city. Let’s keep it clean” was proving more popular. The common brain behind them was Mr CVN, as he is widely popular now.
   Narasimha Reddi garu had a huge respect for the PTI and The Hindu Group. He is not just a passionate PR professional, but a constant motivator. He and our Journalism School Prof S Bashiruddin, breathed life into PR. Most of us students dismissed it as too soft, organising events, ticketing for bosses and building up company image during those days.
  My relationship with Narasimha Reddi is indeed long, fruitful engaging and always learning. In the last decade, a call in the morning around 7 am, would often mean it was CVN, he would first enquire about my family and then seek my opinion on some economic or scientific issue of contemporary interest. The phone call was because he was ageing and travel was getting tough.
  For years, CVN would occasionally drop by at the Hindu office, meet several of us, discuss and then go back. It was after his retirement, towards the end of the 20th century. He would call up Journalists and pat them for a good story too, which often bosses did not do. His reach was across all language newspapers and extending to the country too.
  CVN scaled heights in his career from being a PRO of a few Govt depts to serving several Chief Ministers of United Andhra Pradesh. He has touched many Journalism schools across the country with his lectures, articles & books in  a career of atleast 6 decades.
   The last time, I met CVN garu was at the ASCI, when we organised the Prof Bashiruddin Memorial Lecture in September, 2019 delivered by Krishnaprasad, former Editor, Outlook. He was in a wheelchair, spent more than an hour for Bashiruddin, whom he considered his guru in PR. Thereafter, his health has been failing with him going in and out of CARE hospital, where he finally breathed his last on Ugadi day (Telugu New year), March 25.
   Right from my PTI days, CVN had tremendous trust in my reporting skills. Occasionally he would get me to do PR releases on conferences, where he though I could do justice after getting the nod from Mr Harnur and later Jamaluddin  Ali Khan. He also got me to talk at PRSI  meetings once making me deliver a keynote on economic challenges around 2010, when the world economy was slowing down. Further, he would often call me to judge at PRSI, though many times, I used to excuse stating my lack of expertise, though he would not agree.
  CVN was the most prominent, common and visible face of the PRSI. Though, at times, I used to tell him to hand over the baton to nextgen. He was a tireless voice, brining out PR Voice regularly, organising events and working closely with Universities to upgrade PR syllable. I too was involved in one exercise as board members of OU Journalism dept. During his 80’s he travelled to the US to deliver lectures on PR. He connected strongly with the Brahmakumaris and involved them in PR activity, though, I have no clue why & how?
  At the personal level too Narasimha Reddi garu became close, when I had to suddenly return from New Delhi in 2001 on transfer by the Hindu Group. I had to get admission for my son, whom we pulled out of APJ Public School at LKG level. When I called him, he asked me to meet the Principal of Bharathiya Vidya Bhavan, Jubilee Hills, Ms Rama Devi. After a discussion, a small test and assurance that we will be responsible parents to the child’s education admission was granted. Interestingly, as my better half, Jayanthi was into education and son was 5 yrs Rama Devi garu suggested admitting into Class 1. Thus Ujwal, gained 8 months, got good education in the school and turned engineer and is pursuing masters abroad. Incidentally, my daughter Krithika too was lucky to get admission in sibling quota and passed through BVB. CVN would always make it a point to enquire about their education and feedback about the School.
  Though, a teetotaller, CVN garu would be an active participant in friends circle. When RJ Rajendraprasad, RE, The Hindu and well known Journalist retired in 2002, he hosted a wonderful party at home. Friends like R Neelamegham, Subhas Patel, Rajeshwari Rao, PS Sundaram, K Srinivasa Reddy and many attended.
  Though, CVN was nearly 3 decades older to me, his attitude, spirit, curiosity and motivation were evergreen till the last. I will always cherish those great moments. Om Shanthi.