Arindam Das: A reporter par excellence

Bhubaneswar/Cuttack: A journalist is exposed to professional hazards while performing his duty. With cut throat competition in the field, scribes are always on the edge to bring out ‘BREAKING NEWS’, without much caring about the dangers involved in newsgathering. A young and brave journalist’s life was cut short today while reporting a rescue operation of an elephant at Mundali in Cuttack, little did he know that it would be his last assignment.

Arindam Das, the senior reporter of leading television channel Odisha Television Ltd, drowned while covering a rescue mission LIVE. He was onboard the ODRAF boat with the rescue personnel on it too. While the boat was approaching the target, a strong current overturned the boat taking down the occupants.

The trained personnel tried to pull the co-passengers to safety but it took around 20 minutes to locate Arindam. He was rushed to SCB Medical College and Hospital, but it was too late. He was declared dead on arrival by the attending doctor.

Journalist Arindam Das on onboard ODRAF boat along with colleague Pravat Sinha during jumbo rescue operation in Mahandi river at Mundali

The 39-year-old brave journalist’s unfortunate demise has saddened one and all. He was quite a popular face on television for disaster reporting. He would invariably be appearing on screen while it’s cyclone or flood. He shot to fame for reporting the Italian abduction story from deep inside the forests in Kandhamal district in 2012. For the first time, Maoists had abducted foreign nationals in the state. Senior journalists Sandeep Sahu (representing BBC), Sampad Mohapatra (NDTV), Dayanidhi Dash (OTV) and Arindam were part of the team that had gone to meet now jailed Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda.

An alumnus of IIMC, Dhenkanal, Arindam began his journalistic journey from Odia daily Dharitri. After gaining sound reporting experience in print, he switched to television and joined OTV as its crime reporter.

A pal of gloom descended on the media fraternity as reports of his untimely death surfaced. Political leaders cutting across party lines, including Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Assembly Speaker Surjya Narayan Patro, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Odisha Congress President Niranjan Patnaik and School and Mass Education Minister Samir Dash expressed their grief over the journalist’s demise.

CM Naveen termed the journalist’s demise as an irreparable loss to Odisha media.

 

Expressing grief, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said the young journalist had created a different identity in Odia journalism for his courageous reporting on numerous occasions.

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