Print media journalist Sudeep R P Sonawane manages http://www.thepluralist.in . He has worked in five countries – India, Qatar, Bahrain, The United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Nepal. He writes news reports, features, edits, and rewrites editorial content on various topics such as science, technology, education, business, international affairs, culture, and sports.
This website promotes the principles of freedom to speak, write, equality, social justice, democracy, spiritual enlightenment and peaceful coexistence within a state’s cultural diversity. This website publishes original content, republishes reports and features written by Sudeep for the publications he worked in the past, and aggregates content that is freely available on the Internet.
Sudeep’s media career in India and the Middle East spans more than three decades. He has worked for Qatar News Agency, The Kathmandu Post (Nepal), The Peninsula, Doha Stadium Plus, (both Qatar), Gulf Daily News (Bahrain), The Emirates Evening Post, The Times of India (Bombay, Pune, Ahmedabad), and The Indian Express, The Independent, The Indian Post and Mid-Day and Sportsweek magazine (all Mumbai).
Born in Bombay, now Mumbai, Sudeep grew up in the salubrious and green Aarey Milk Colony (AMC) in Goregaon. Milk Commissioner of Bombay (from 1946 to 1952) Dara Nusserwanji Khurody set up AMC in 1949. India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru inaugurated AMC on March 4, 1951. A dense green deciduous forest with undulating hills AMC’s main serpentine road ascends and descends the hillocks and weaves its way from NH8 in the west, near Goregaon, to Powai and Vihar lakes in the east. The AMC in the 21st century is bereft of its pristine glory of the 1950s and 60s era.
Sudeep’s parents Dr Sharad Sonawane and Esther Sonawane started their careers in Aarey Colony. His father was Veterinary Officer at the Calf Farm, less than one kilometre from their bungalow in Unit 13. His mother started as English Lecturer at the Dairy Science Institute (DSI) and retired as Assistant Executive Officer of Aarey. While most boys play cricket on the streets and by-lanes of Mumbai, Sudeep was blessed to learn and play cricket matches on the sprawling cricket ground meant for the dairy science students residing in DSI hostel-cum-college named New Zealand Hostel. The red alluvial soil ground was lush green with proper hardball pitch flattened by a medium size iron roller. A cluster of tall Eucalyptus (Niligiri) trees stood behind the sight-screen while a cluster of cashew and mango trees dotted the midwicket area or the west side of the ground.
Sudeep’s cricket aspirations were limited to representing in 1977-78 Wilson College team in the inter-college cricket tournament conducted by University of Bombay. Professor Ratnakar Shetty who taught chemistry at Wilson College was the coach-cum-manager of the team. Professor Shetty later became joint secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and later General Manager. After failing to find a place in Mumbai’s representative cricket teams, Sudeep played for club and media teams like the Sports Journalists Association of Bombay (part of Sports Journalists’ Federation of India) and the Bombay Press Club which he captained in the mid 1990s. He last played for Doha Scribes team in the Division League conducted by Qatar Cricket Association in 2008-10 while he lived in Doha, Qatar and worked for The Peninsula newspaper and Qatar News Agency.
The Pluralist 