ORISSA MEDIA TO FIGHT UNITEDLY AGAINST ATTACKS

BHUBANESWAR, FEB 12: Editors and news heads of leading Oriya and English newspapers and television channels have expressed their deep concern over the rising number of attacks on media persons in the state. Participating in the Editors’ Symposium on Media Freedom organised by the Media Unity for Freedom of Press (MUFP) today in Bhubaneswar, the editors came down heavily on the state government for being indifferent to such incidents.

The editors expressed surprise over the fact that police had not taken any action on an elected member of the ruling Biju Janata Dal despite leading a brutal attack on Pipili-based journalist Rajat Ranjan Dash a week ago and said it strengthened the perception that the state government was against media freedom.

The editors and news heads resolved to join hands to ensure the media responds as one when faced with such challenges through an eleven member Media Advisory Panel which would sit at regular intervals to deliberate on major issues confronting media persons and the media.

Satakadi Hota, Soumya Ranjan Patnaik, Tathagata Satapathy, Samahit Bal, Pramod Mohapatra, Adhyapak Biswaranjan, Batakrishna Tripathy, Srimoy Kar, Soumyajit Patnaik and Ashok Mohapatra will be members of the panel. Senior scribe Prasanta Patnaik would act as the coordinator on behalf of the MUFP.

The Media Advisory Panel will meet on the 19th of February to deliberate on a possible plan for joint media action and endorse a white paper on all incidents of attacks on media persons in the last two years.

MUFP demands arrest of attackers

Bhubaneswar, February 7: Media Unity for Freedom of Press (MUFP) held a protest meeting under the Freedom Tree near Soochana Bhawan in Bhubaneswar on Monday to condemn the brutal and murderous attack on Sambad's Pipili Reporter Rajat Ranjan Dash by the BJD chairman of Pipili Notified Area Council (NAC) and his criminal gang on February 4 and demanded immediate arrest of the said ruling party politician and all those responsible for the dastardly assault on Mr. Dash.

Mr. Dash, who had been discharged from the hospital on Monday morning, was present at the venue of the protest meeting and shared shocking details of the assault on him. He said that he had become the target of the NAC Chairman S.K. Babu after he published reports on the growing public demand for a probe into the alleged large scale corruption in the local urban body.

Mr. Dash said he was beaten black and blue after the NAC chairman pointed a gun at his head and threatened to eliminate him if he ever dared write anything against him.

He also revealed that the attackers also looted cash worth Rs 12,500, a gold chain and three mobile sets from him. The NAC chairman then ordered his men to strip him and he was paraded naked for a while until local people came to his rescue and took him to the hospital. The attackers also included Md. Ashikur Rehman, Md. Yusuf, Basabanta Das alias Bichi, Pravat Sethi and others.

MUFP demanded definite answers from the Chief Minister, Home Secretary and the Collector and Superintendent of Police Puri as to why the police has so far not acted on the basis of the FIR lodged in this regard when by all accounts the accused have committed a very serious criminal offence and should have been behind bars by now.

MUFP also decided to submit a petition to the Governor of Orissa and take follow-up action to ensure those responsible for the criminal assault of Mr. Dash are brought to book.

MUFP condemns attack on Sambad Reporter Rajat Ranjan Dash

BHUBANESWAR, Feb 4: The Media Unity for Freedom of Press (MUFP) strongly condemns the brutal attack on the Sambad's Pipili reporter Sri Rajat Ranjan Dash by a group of anti-socials this morning ( 4 February 2011) allegedly at the behest of the local NAC chairman who was aggrieved over the publication of a news item in Sambad about him.The fact that the local people took to the streets immediately after the incident and blocked the NH-203 in protest goes on to prove that the news report by Sri Dash on the NAC did reflect the truth.

Sri Dash who has sustained fractures and head injuries has been rushed to the Capital Hospital, Unit-6 for treatment.

The MUFP demands immediate arrest of the Pipili NAC chairman and his associates for the dastardly attack and a quick probe by the Collector, Puri.

It is clear that incidents of brutal attacks on mediapersons are on the rise in Orissa primarily because the perpetrators of such crimes are rarely taken to task. The gross indifference of the state government in such matters has made matters worse.

The MUFP has decided to lodge its protest and place it demands through a meeting under the Freedom Tree near Soochana Bhawan at the earliest.

We also urge upon all members to join hands to ensure those responsible for the brutal attack on Sri Das are booked and get exemplary punishment.

MUFP wishes Sr Rajat Ranjan Dash an early recovery and assures him of all support until he gets justice.

For The Presidium ,

MEDIA UNITY FOR FREEDOM OF PRESS,

Prasanta Patnaik,

Subhas Chandra Patnaik,

Sampad Mohapatra,

Prafulla Das,

Rabi Das,

Gopal Mohapatra,

Sudhir Patnaik,

Dwijen Padhi.