Bhubaneswar: Members of the People’s Democratic Human Rights of India (PDHRI) on Saturday submitted a memorandum to Governor Prof. Ganeshi Lal seeking his intervention for promulgating a law to protect working journalists of Odisha.
The journalists, who serve the masses by reporting their day to day problems, are in danger on the eve of the general elections. Attack on journalists is on rise in the state. A reporter of Prameya newspaper Kapilendra Pradhan was attacked in a cinema hall at Bhubaneswar on January 26. Similarly, the chief circulation manager of “The Samaj” Odia daily newspaper was robbed and hacked to death. In another case, Kumaresh Nayak, of Kamyab TV was slaughtered for reporting news. Again a news reporter of Kendrapara district (Pattamundai area) was staved on January 30 while Paradeep Reporter of OTV was attacked and seriously wounded by a particular political party supporter while collecting reports on the demands of the students sitting on dharna at Sreema Government High School of Paradeep Garh. Today, a group of supporters of one political party assaulted a reporter of OTV news channel. On the other hand, Odia daily ‘Prameya’ newspaper reporter Bikram Acharya of Puri has been hospitalized in critical condition after a life-threatening attack. The frequent attack on journalists may turn into a great threat to democracy on the eve of the general election, if no strict steps are taken from now, the memorandum read.
PDHRI State Committee President Gadadhar Das and Central Committee Secretary Lingaraj Sahoo demanded the immediate arrest of the goons and anti socials involved in crime against journalists.
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