Guwahati: Journalists across India continue to die of Covid-19 as they
are playing the role of corona-warriors along with practicing doctors,
nurses, sanitation workers, police personnel etc. Journalists’ Forum
Assam (JFA) expresses its profound grief over their demises and urges
every scribe to be careful while reporting the pandemic from the
ground.
Lately the country lost four journalists to the novel corona virus
infection related ailments within nine days and it went on increasing
the Covid-19 casualties among the media fraternity. The latest victim
surfaces from Agra where senior journalist Ami Adhar Nidar (50) died
of the novel corona virus infection aggravated ailments at Medanta
hospital, Gurugram on 19 September 2020. Associated with Hindi
newspaper DainikJagaran, the popular journalist was hospitalized few
days back after he tested positive for Covid-19. He left behind his
wife, one son and one daughter with other relatives.
Earlier, Anil Srivastava (68) from Basti in Jammu locality succumbed
to Covid-19 complications on 18 September. Worked for the United News
of India for many years, Srivastava died at Basti medical college
hospital. Survived by his wife, two sons and other relatives, the
journalist also edited local newspapers namely VicharParakh and
PrakashTimes.
Days back, Ravinder Kumar (30) from Una locality in Himachal Pradesh
died of Covid-19. Working for DainikJagran, Kumar was not feeling well
for some time. He was sent to the hospital after developing symptoms
of Covid-19 on 9 September and he died on the way. His cremation was
conducted following Covid-19 protocols. Kumar left behind his parents,
wife, brother along with a host of relatives.
Similarly, Abohar (Punjab) based journalist Naresh Bajaj (57)
succumbed to Covid-19 complications on 10 September. Bajaj worked as a
correspondent to SachKahoon, a newspaper published from Sirsa.
Importantly, the journalist was also very active as a frontline corona
warrior in the pandemic.
Assam also witnessed two journo-victims recently as Udalguri based
correspondent Dhaneswar Rabha (35) died of Covid-19 at Guwahati
medical college hospital on 6 September. Rabha is the first scribe in
northeast India to succumb to Covid-19 complications. He was suffering
from renal problems and went for regular dialysis. Rabha left behind
his parents, wife, two kids, a host of relatives.
Next day, senior journalist Ashim Dutta passed away at Silchar
medical college hospital. Dutta (65), who worked for a Bengali daily
in Barak valley, was also suffering from kidney problems. He was
admitted to the hospital after testing positive for the novel corona
virus infection. A pass-out from Gauhati University, Dutta left
behind his wife, only daughter and other relatives.
Weeks back, Mumbai based senior film-journalist Shyam Sarma, Nellore
(Andhra Pradesh) based scribe Narayanam Seshacharyulu, Pune based
television reporter Pandurang Raikar, Kanpur based television
journalist Neelanshu Shukla, Patiala based photojournalist Jai Deep,
Tirupati based television reporter Madhusudan Reddy & video
journalist M Parthasarathy succumbed to the infections.
The list also includes television reporter Ramanathan & news
videographer E Velmurugan from Chennai, news presenter Davinder Pal
Singh from Chandigarh, television scribe Manoj Kumar from Hyderabad,
print-journalist Pankaj Kulashrestha from Agra, Orissa’s journalists
Simanchal Panda, K Ch Ratnam & Priyadarshi Patnaik, etc.
Kolkata based photojournalist Ronny Roy became the first Indian scribe
to lose his battle against the dreaded virus. New Delhi scribe Tarun
Sisodia killed himself undergoing Covid-19 treatment at AIIMS.
Maharashtra’s veteran journalist Ashok Churi, who edited Marathi
weekly PalgharTimes, died at a Palghar based hospital, who later
tested positive for Covid-19. The printer-publisher of AsomiyaKhabar
(Rantu Das) also died at a Guwahati hospital and later tested
positive for the virus infection.
Expressing concern over hundreds of city-based media persons lately
tested positive for Covid-19, JFA president Rupam Barua and secretary
Nava Thakuria repeated the appeal to media group managements to come
clean on their employees’ health status as part of social
responsibility. The forum added that news channels and newspapers
continue identifying other Covid-19 patients, but they collectively
remain silent when their employees turn positive (except a few
infected scribes made personal revelations in social media).
