• Source: JS (magazine)

Junior Statesman, commonly known as JS, was an Indian youth magazine that ran from 1967 to 1977. It was based in West Bengal, India.




History


JS was founded by Alfred Evan Charlton, the last British editor of The Statesman newspaper. JS initially served as a platform to engage young readers with the parent publication. The magazine underwent a transformation under Desmond Doig, an Anglo-Irish journalist, diverging from its initial child-focused concept to a broader youth audience, targeting individuals aged 15 to 25 from urban, English-speaking, middle and upper-class backgrounds.
Published in a politically tumultuous era in Kolkata, JS filled a niche in the Indian media landscape, lacking in youth-specific publications. Its content spanned music reviews, notably of Western genres, alongside diverse features such as crosswords, comics, and columns. Notable sections included "Disc-Cussion" and "Rear Window", with the latter tactfully navigating censorship during the Emergency period by substituting restricted vocabulary.
JS mirrored global cultural trends while simultaneously contributing to the development of a unique Indian youth culture. Its influence extended to fashion and lifestyle, popularizing Western trends among Indian youths. The magazine's staff was predominantly male, but it also featured contributions from female writers. Over its decade-long run, JS played a significant role in shaping the perceptions and tastes of urban Indian youth, marking a transition in the country's cultural landscape.
In 1968, Cushrow Russi Irani, a former insurance lawyer related to NA Palkhivala, chairman of the consortium owning The Statesman was appointed as the managing director of the newspaper. This period marked a shift in the dynamic between The Statesman and its offshoot Junior Statesman (JS). Despite The Statesman's longer history and wider circulation, JS had developed a significant readership and influence, especially among the youth, over its ten-year publication.
Irani, characterized by a disciplined and brisk demeanor, began to view the editorial independence and growing acclaim of JS, particularly under Desmond Doig's editorship, as a challenge to The Statesman's authority. Tensions escalated over the magazine's editorial direction and financial resources and, in 1977, Irani unilaterally decided to halt the publication, effectively shutting it down without prior notification to its staff, including Doig.




Office


The JS editorial office was located on a mezzanine floor of the Statesman House, a colonial structure in Chowringhee Square, Kolkata. The office environment was described as largely egalitarian, with minimal hierarchical structure, except for the acknowledged leadership of Desmond Doig.
JS staff typically dressed casually, contrasting with the more formal dress code of their counterparts, and engaged in leisure activities such as cricket within the office space. Despite lower salaries compared to The Statesman employees, JS staff reportedly had access to better office facilities, a detail that allegedly caused some envy among The Statesman employees.
The office not only housed its regular staff but also served as a hub for various artists, writers, and photographers, who contributed to the magazine and were considered part of the extended JS family. Desmond Doig, the editor, was remembered for his vibrant and welcoming personality. He was known for hosting gatherings in his uniquely decorated flat, which included various eclectic and culturally themed items. Such gatherings were a testament to the magazine's cultural influence and the diverse community it fostered.




Writers


Dubby Bhagat
Desmond Doig, Anglo-Irish journalist
Jug Suraiya, former associate editor of the Times of India
M. J. Akbar, Indian politician
Shashi Tharoor, Indian politician
Anurag Mathur, Indian journalists
Bhaskar "Papa" Menon, writer of Bounder column




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