Legally Write- From Law to Journalism

As I approach my final semester of the five years law course, one thing that I have realized is that one of the biggest sacrifices one makes, is when you cannot pursue what you want. The biggest irony of the Indian educational system and the whole work marathon is- reap results or you will be thrown out of the race . Somewhere contemplating over these facts and trying to achieve the ever unachievable balance between vocation and avocation, pushed me to pursue my hobby i.e writing as a full time career.
I give a lot of credit to my law school as it was here where I realized that writing was my passion. Juggling with written assignments every semester kept me busy and I came across this unbridled need of mine that was to express and write. Two years back when I decided that I would take up journalism as my full time profession I was bombarded from all the sides as I did not fit the criteria of a product of a law school- to work in a good law firm and earn well. During the internships which I did very ardently I realized that law was not meant for me , I always wanted to venture into arts , cinema , fashion and culture. During the years at law school I developed a skill for writing and that gave me a rare opportunity of combining my two passions lifestyle and writing. The biggest hurdle was to get a journalism internship, I did get internship at two of the national dailies of India, giving me a good enough exposure, experience , opportunities and influence to go on and stand by my decision. Getting an internship in a whole new different field is an ordeal but I guess where you have a will you do have a way, I did internships and did get to learn a lot. I also started my own fashion blog which has suddenly become a beautiful haven for me and whenever I am tensed I write about fashion and movies.
Since past one year I have developed myself as a writer and as a researcher which are two very important tools to be a good journalist. The biggest weapon that an individual is vested with is an introspective attitude . A more maturer and a happier way of living would be to accept yourself , satisfy your intellectual needs and interests and try and make a concrete path to achieve it.
People today talk of responsibilities to one’s society, one’s family and loved ones but the biggest responsibility that one owes is to himself. As a lawyer I was taught that I cannot be oblivious of my actions and expressions and true responsibility of a journalist would be to be responsible to what he/she expresses be it in any media form.
 I am still working to be a good writer and I’ll always have to. The decision of being a journalist compels you to observe and think in a very diversified way , as a journalist you cannot be opinionated you have to be narrative and that minute difference comes with time. You cannot define what good writing is , one cannot be a good writer but one can only evolve as a writer . The stories can be good but the expression is always on the verge of improvement and that is the biggest lesson that I have learned since I began writing.
But the tragedy is that people in India are still not very encouraging towards writing for a large number of people. Journalism is still a very futile job, but the reality is very different. Today media/journalism has become a very dynamic field . According to me it always was, but as dissipation of information was always required ,now the means have changed.
 Changing a career is certainly not an easy decision, as until and unless one can fit into that stereotypical box of society where you have to earn a lakh , have a blackberry and own a Mercedes you don’t belong to the average set of people , but I have never complied to that definition of average. As a journalist I have realized that one defines an ‘ average ‘ and a ‘normal life’ for one’s self.
I am still in a nascent stage , approaching the end of my law school, trying to get a journalism degree , trying for a good journalism school but all I can say is writing anything is like rediscovering your self
All I have gathered from my past is never to be driven by other’s choices , stand strong by your decisions and keep learning from your surroundings as you never know even a freckle might have something in store for us.

Anupam Dabral dabbles in his blog and you can read some of his works in  http://anupam-fashionapprentice.blogspot.in/

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