In remembrance of Ba'alu Girma - Distinguished journalist, martyr novelist

 Blogger's Note: On facebook, I change my profile from time to time to those I consider heroes. These are people who showed exemplary dedication to Ethiopia or luminaries who have enriched the lives of Ethiopians through their literary, artistic or scientific works. Recently, I changed my FB profile to the picture of Ba'alu Girma anticipating his birthday was approaching. A facebook friend asked who that was and whether he is of mixed race. I promised then to the young lady that I would post his extraordinary story in the coming days. My intention was to post on September 22 which is his birthdate, the following biographical sketch that I included on past years edition of my publication . Because I was working frantically to print the new edition before MESQEL holiday, I did not get time to post what I had promised.  Now the new edition is out on the market, here is the extra-odrinary story of an extra-ordinary talented man. Apologies for the delay in posting this.
Baalu Girma: Distinguished journalist, martyr novelist
1932- 1976 E.C. (1939-1984)

Baalu Girma was born on September 22, 1939 in Supe, a small town in Illubabor province. His father was from India and his mother was a local woman from a wealthy family. His parents‘ marriage ended when his father decided to move his family to Addis Ababa, and his mother‘s family refused to permit them to leave. Baalu was young when his father returned to India for good. Later in life, while Baalu was in India on a business trip, he made an unsuccessful attempt to find his father. Baalu changed his last name to Girma, after the family who brought him up in Addis Ababa since the age of 10. His excellent grades at Princess Zenebework School earned him a scholarship to General Wingate high school, a top boarding school jointly run by the British and Ethiopian governments. At Wingate, Baalu found his calling in creative writing.

In 1964/65 (1957 E.C.), Baalu joined Haile Selassie I University. There, Baalu was a prolific writer & contributor to News & Views, the university‘s bulletin for which he became editor-in-chief. After obtaining his Bachelor‘s degree, he began his career in the Ministry of Information as a correspondent for the Ethiopian Herald, a prominent English-language daily newspaper. Then, Baalu earned a scholarship at Michigan State University where he received his Master‘s in Political Science and Journalism. Baalu returned to Ethiopia and started to work for Ye'Zareyitu Ethiopia, an Amharic weekly newspaper. Soon after, he became editor-in-chief of the magazine Menen and the popular English weekly magazine Addis Reporter. After some time as editor-in-chief of Ye'Zareyitu Ethiopia, & then Ethiopian Herald (the English daily), Baalu became editor-in-chief of the largest daily Amharic language newspaper Addis Zemen in 1970/1 (1963E.C.).

Around the time, he was editor-in-chief of Addis Zemen, Baalu published his first novel, Ke‘Admas Bashager (Beyond the Horizon), and later, his second novel Ye'Hillina Dewel (The Bell of Conscience). In 1974 Baalu left Addis Zemen to become Deputy General Manager of the Ethiopian News Agency, and later, General Manager. At the end of 1977, Baalu became the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Information, and guest lecturer of creative writing at Addis Ababa University.
Baalu wrote six highly acclaimed novels, four of which – Ye'qey Kokeb Teri (Call of the Red Star), Haddis (titled after the main character of the book), Derasiw (The Writer), and Oromay (The End) – were written during the military regime. His last novel Oromay was unprecedented in Ethiopian literature in its boldness, in creating characters similar to the then high-ranking government officials apparent to his readers. As the second highest official at the Ministry of Information, he had access to & knowledge of the inner workings of the regime and the regime‘s vigorous campaign to weed out separatist movements in the country. In the process, he stumbled across corruption of unforgivable magnitude and started writing the book - Oromay.
The book doesn‘t mention any government officials by name, yet it exposes their wrongdoings quite skillfully. It illustrates what was done in the name of "working for the country". The courage he had shown in that novel made him increasingly popular with the general public but also earned him quite a number of powerful adversaries within the regime. The officials‘ anger toward the book was so intense, Baalu was summoned by Dergue strongman Colonel Mengistu Haile-Mariam. Mengistu reportedly asked Baalu how could he write such a book which put "the revolution in danger?" Baalu did not retreat and defended his work in front of a man no one dared to talk back to. He courageously told Mengistu that he would take responsibility for his work. Afterwards, the book was banned and copies of the book were removed from all bookstores& libraries. Yet the book circulated widely underground. Baalu was dismissed from his position in the Ministry of Information for 'betraying the revolution'.
One Thursday in February 1984, Baalu left home around early evening and has never been seen or heard from again. Many believe that he was abducted by the military regime‘s notorious security forces and murdered.
This biographical sketch is compiled from the following sources:
Biography. Baalu Girma Foundation.. http://www.baalugirmafoundation.org (Accessed 07/31/2009)
Fate of an Author Who Dared Ethiopian Herald. August 21, 1991
Molvaer, R. K. – Black Lions: The Creative Lives of Modern Ethiopia‘s Literary Giants and Pioneers.
Red Sea Press, 1997.
Bealu Girma now at this moment. Carpe Diem Ethiopia. http://
carpediemethiopia.blogspot.com/2007/01/bealu-girma-now-at-this-moment_30.html