Guwahati: Expressing anguish over the increase of casualties among
media persons to Covid-19 complications in different parts of the
country, Journalists’ Forum Assam (JFA) appeals to every scribe to be
cautious and careful in safeguarding themselves along with their
families while reporting from the ground.
Local media reports reveal that a veteran journalist of Maharashtra
died recently fighting the novel corona virus infection. Ashok Churi,
who edited Marathi weekly PalgharTimes, died at Palghar based
hospital, who later tested positive for Covid-19. Similarly, a young
photo journalist of Punjab named Jai Deep, who worked for a Patiala
based newspaper, also died of Covid-19 related ailments.
Earlier, an Andhra Pradesh based television reporter Madhusudan Reddy
succumbed to Covid-19 complications. He became the second media victim
from Tirupati locality after video journalist M Parthasarathy died
during medical interventions. Tamil Nadu television reporter
Ramanathan and Orissa journalists namely Simanchal Panda, K Ch Ratnam
& Priyadarshi Patnaik also lost their battles against the virus.
New Delhi based scribe Tarun Sisodia killed himself undergoing
treatment at All India Institute of Medical Sciences. The
printer-publisher of AsomiyaKhabar (Rantu Das) died of heart-failure
at a Guwahati hospital, who later tested positive for Covid-19.
Chennai based news videographer E Velmurugan, Chandigarh based news
presenter Davinder Pal Singh, Hyderabad based television scribe Manoj
Kumar, Agra based print journalist Pankaj Kulashrestha and Kolkata
based photojournalist Ronny Roy earlier died of Covid-19.
JFA president Rupam Barua and secretary Nava Thakuria in a statement
also expressed annoyances that over one hundred Assam based media
persons turned positive for the virus infection while working as
corona-warriors. But shockingly, the worrisome development has not
been reported by their news papers, news channels and digital
platforms themselves properly, it added.
“Need not to remind that it is the duty and responsibility for
newspapers, news channels, digital outlets to report correctly about
the Covid-19 warriors and also the victims within the medi
fraternity,” asserted the JFA statement adding that they would
definitely continue playing an important role along with the
practicing doctors, nurses, sanitation workers and police personnel
during the pandemic.
