O Venugopal: Remembering Josettan

It was way back in 1984 that I got acquainted with Josettan (Jose Joseph), and from that very moment we had a natural bonding with each other. Our friendship soon blossomed into camaraderie with lots of mutual trust and respect.

Josettan’s contribution towards the development of Kerala Master Printers Association and the printing industry has been immense. He was a mentor to all printers and was passionate about empowering printers in Kerala. He would also go out of his way to help the genuinely needy.

Josettan can be called one of the pillars of KMPA’s foundation. There’s not a single aspect of the association in which he has not been involved in. He brought unity and harmony within the association. Drastic changes streamlined the functioning of KMPA. He introduced weekly meetings as a platform for association members to get to know each other better, exchange experiences, and discuss topics affecting their businesses. He also was responsible for initiating innovative programmes such as training sessions, seminars, exhibitions, etc. KMPA’s flagship seminar Print & Beyond, which has over the years gained success by getting bigger and better, is his brainchild.

One of his major contributions was to inculcate democratic and transparent functioning within the rank and file of KMPA, where even the smallest of printers had their say, and was guaranteed protection and support from fellow members He was the pillar who advocated the need of an own space for KMPA and had tirelessly worked and envisioned everyone to achieve that, which I remember is one of the major milestone for KMPA.

Today with its own office space at Kaloor, in the heart of Kochi, KMPA has taken training programmes to higher levels with tie-ups with various printing institutes and associations like Additional Skill Acquisition Program (ASAP) and Vocational Higher Secondary Education (VHSE). One of Josettan’s dreams was for KMPA to have its own training school which has been kept in abeyance due to the lack of a suitable plot.

As an individual, Josettan was forthright, a great listener and a knowledgeable speaker. He was an avid reader, and loved arts, culture, and movies. His knack of making friends and maintaining them was astounding along with his great humour sense which is a huge mood enhancer and ice-breaker, and this helped him have close connections with people from various walks of life including some high-profile personalities like noted filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan.

On a personal front, I managed to build a great rapport with Josettan simply because we had similar interests and were on the same wavelength. This transposed into great action and teamwork naturally during my course of heading the Kerala Master Printers Association from 2008-2012 where he was the coordinator a post of a mentor in disguise in its truest sense for the association. We would have healthy debates on several topics far related from printing that would go on for hours. He was a good listener of others’ opinions even if he was critical of them. He had this special quality of revving up your spirits even on a gloomy day.

Today taking his baby steps and advice I have been grateful to adorn the role of KMPA’s coordinator role after his sad demise.

Josettan is no more with us. Today his words and wisdom are around us and will be a guiding light for all who have been closely associated with the beloved veteran which to replace for the printing industry would be a rarity. Josettan was one of a kind, and a rare entity who always worked for the upliftment of the people so they can be future leaders in the printing industry with his selfless love and a passion to help without even requesting for it.

He was a true godfather for many and was always walking on the path of righteousness and transparency. The mark that he has left on me is indelible and will be cherished forever as a great learning curve in my life.