The Presidium of the MUFP which met on the 21st of January decided to host this event to highlight the growing number of attacks on media persons by vested interest groups as well as the sate authorities and the police and the indifferent attitude of the state government to such developments and also to suggest permanent remedial measures.

The MUFP recorded its sense of shock and hurt over the fact that the
chief minister had done little to arrest this trend despite repeated
appealsto him through a series of memeoranda demanding stringent
action against the offenders.

The MUFP Presidium decided to invite the editors of leading newspapers
and television news channels to participate in the MUFP symposium and
address the mediapersons in regard to the way forward.

It has been alleged that while media persons representing various print , electronic and web medias were in the campus to cover the unruly actions of some youths/students, who were assaulting some foreign students physically, they were attacked by the unruly youths claiming themselves as students of the University.

Media persons in Orissa have been always cordial and friendly towards the students and their problems and use to highlight it as and when necessary and on no occasion they were so brutally dealt with by the student community.

The MUFP therefore demands immediate arrest of the assaulters and to take stringent action against all persons including the University authority and the police who were responsible for such unruly situation inside the campus.

The MUFP whole heatedly support the stand taken by the media persons of Cuttack condemning the indifferent attitude of the Police Commissionarate towards the media persons by not taking any action against the assaulters and their decision to boycot the police and Government functions till the arrest of the accused persons responsible for attack on media persons.

Bhubaneswar media persons, this forenoon, in the conference hall of the Information and Public Relations Department, deeply mourned the sad demise of eminent journalist Annada Kumar Roy in an obituary meeting convened by Media Unity for Freedom of Press (MUFP).

With Subhas Chandra Pattanayak in the chair, Bauribandhu Moharana, who had the privilege of working under Roy for a long time, in delivering the introductory speech, described how spotless was he in the profession as well as in personal and social life.

President of the Presidium of Media Unity for Freedom of Press (MUFP) Prasanta Patnaik, convener of the obituary meet, fondly remembered his noble qualities and contributions to language journalism in Orissa. Soft in nature, Roy was strong in adhering to ethics of journalism, he said.

Chief of Sambad news section Gopal Mohapatra paid rich tributes to Roy saying, his role as news editor shall stay a model for generations to come.

Eminent authoress and journalist Ms.Yotsna Routray remembered with reverence the inspiring encouragements and guidance she had received from Roy when she had started her career under him. Her husband and journalist Jimuta Bahan Mangaraj also said in the same light and added, the void created by the demise would hardly be filled up in near future.

Senior journalist Aksaya Kumar Pati said that Roy was a rare instance of gentleness in personal and professional life and shall forever be remembered for his kind gesture to newcomers to the media world.

Vivekananda Jena, Papu Mohanty, Baishnav Jena, Vivekananda Das and Ms. Brahmipriya Samantaray paid glowing tributes to the late doyen of desk journalism. He was a man, who, despite long contribution to journalism, had never run after any recognition, the speakers said, some even trying to hold back tears over the loss.

The Media Unity for Freedom of Press has offered silent protests against police atrocities on media persons, in a demonstration near before the Raj Bhavan today.

Sad; but true. Press boycotted Orissa legislative Assembly for the first hour today and for the first time in the history of Orissa, in protest against attack on media persons by men in uniform and criminals pampered by police and the party in power.

The regime is so irresponsible that miscreants are having the police act according to their dictates.

Be it the framing up of Laxman Choudhury in sedition case by the police at Mohana or be it sloughing over of the attempt to murder Sri Akhand at Pipili Police Station, in every instance of attack on media persons, the prejudiced stance of Police against the Press is so discernible that it is difficult to see any difference between the mafia and the police. Sadly, the Chief Minister, who himself is the Police Minister, has remained dormant despite repeated collective attempts of the media persons to wake him up to his responsibilities in this regard.

Therefore, there was no other way for the media persons to demonstrate their protests against attack on Press by resorting to a token boycott of the Assembly proceedings, as per their yesterday’s declaration, this forenoon.

We hope, the Chief Minister should be able to read the writings on the wall.

Time is taking a turn towards the worse for his Government.

His government has time and again been stripped layer by layer in the courts of law for unholy nexus with the spiders whose only aim is to feed on Orissa’s mines and natural resources. Naxilites or Maoists – in any style they may be named and any number of armed men may be employed against them, the reality is that there has emerged armed uprising against plutocratic design of his administration. His siding with mega industries at the cost of cultivation, the principal avocation of majority of the state, has given birth to mass agitation against supply of water to those mega industries, which, unless tackled by stopping their commissioning till they are equipped to use sea water instead of sweet water flowing in rivers and lying underground, would acquire such velocity that no force would be able to control. He has, thus, pushed Orissa into a quagmire that can be overcome only through constructive and creative contributions of media persons who belong to and come principally from the masses. Naturally, therefore, the people who benefit from disadvantage of the masses find their own disadvantage in the committed and active media persons who stand for and with the people. This is why they attack them. This is also why the Chief Minister has not taken any tangible step so far to curb the continuous attack on media persons in Orissa.

The nonchalance and recalcitrance displayed by the state administration has rightly been challenged by the journalists on the streets of the capital city of the state as well as through historic boycott of Assembly proceedings for a token time. Orissa had never had this experience. The desired shockwave has penetrated into the users of power that has metamorphosed into impromptu pronouncement by the Minister, Information to cause an enquiry through the Director of Information to locate if there was any attack on media. It only reveals how confused are people in power, because it also reveals that the government is not informed.

When the Chief Minister having personally heard the media persons at least twice on the sordid attacks on Press and having received the memorandum of Media Unity for Freedom of Press (MUFP) personally in this matter is keeping mum, the nexus is so impregnable that the Information Minister’s inquiry through Director of Information will be of no help in bringing the real culprits to book.

When attacks are on records, no enquiry is needed to know of the attacks.

What is needed is action against inaction on part of the law enforcing authorities.

As for example, a looter of public property attempted to murder Mr. Akhand of Kanak TV as he had spread the report about his offense. The Pipili Police Station had registered a case against the miscreant for attempt to murder the reporter; but the moment it was known that the miscreant belongs to ruling party BJD whom its high command supports, the case has been abandoned. So, the crime against a journalist is on records. But no action is being taken. Action is need against such inaction. Unfortunately, the Information Minister is trying to beat about the bushes in the guise of enquiry!

Let the Government take action against inaction in case of attack on media persons that are on records. And let the Minister of Information, instead of indulging in the luxury of enquiry, understand that it would be better for him to immediately initiates framing of a law that would prescribe a minimum amount of rigorous punishment for any transgression into freedom of Press and for any attack on any media person for any of his / her professional work by any official or private person that would include any attempt by police to falsely implicate any media person in any concocted case, with provision for time bound disposal of the case in case of contravention thereof.

This is essential because, without such a law, in the climate of crime that the incumbent government has cultivated in Orissa, threat to freedom of Press will never subside.

Not a single media person covered the question hour of the House and even Orissa Television which telecasts the live proceedings of the House switched off the cameras to express solidarity with the Media Unity for Freedom of Press (MUFP) which had given the boycott call on Thursday during its demonstration before the Assembly in an attempt to wake up the Naveen Patnaik Government which is ignoring repeated demands of MUFP to punish the assaulters and ensure safety and security of the working media persons in the State.

The media persons did not enter to the Press Gallery of the State Assembly and squatted before the entrance to the gallery silently .

Mr. Bhupinder Singh, Leader of Opposition came near the squatting spot and extended the support of the Opposition to the cause of the media persons in the State.

Prasanta Patnaik, on behalf of the MUFP congratulated all media persons for taking such a historical step to express solidarity for the cause of the media and freedom of press which is in danger as the State Government and its police were acting against the interest of the media persons. The MUFP also expressed gratitude to the Editors, Media Houses and TV channels for supporting the cause of media unity for freedom of press.

We place here these speaking pictures with a hope that they may help Navin wake up to the calls of democracy.

The media persons with placards and slogans demonstrated their wrath on the Mahatma Gandhi Marg before the assembly over administrative apathy to their demands for action against hooligans –official and private – in instances of assault and intimidation resorted to by them to gag the press.

They were shocked to know that the two uniformed men apprehended by the local police for misbehaving with a lady reporter on duty at ISKON car festival point and for injuries inflicted upon her accompanist cameraman including destruction of his camera were enlarged due to inability of the police in prosecuting them. They demanded stern and exemplary action against non-prosecution of the rowdies in uniform in the instant case and called upon the state administration as well as the assembly in session to wake up against the alarming transgression of freedom of press.

The resolved to carry out a token boycott of the Assembly proceeding for one hour when the House commences on July 16 in protest against inaction against the transgressors of freedom of press.

MUFP has thanked all media persons for their historic solidarity and has called upon the reporters and cameramen to stand united in the token boycott of the Assembly proceedings in the first hour of July 16.

Dear Friends,

Members of Media Unity for Freedom of Press, who had an emergency meeting on 14th July,2010 under the Press Freedom Tree in front of Soochana Bhawan (State Information Center, while condemning the assault on ETV lady reporter and camera person by the police when they were on assignment and also the attack on Dainik Bhaskar reporter S. Rajiv Gourab while covering car festival on 13th July,2010 in Bhubaneswar, have decided to hold a demonstration in front of Orissa Assembly , near Lower P.M.G. on 15th July ( Thursday ) at 10.30 a.m. protesting against growing attack on media persons in the State and utter callousness of the State Government to punish the culprits and to stress on their demand for necessary protections to the media persons on duty.

You are cordially invited to participate in the demonstration and press the demands of Orissa media before the Government while making the people of the State aware of the condition under which we are working in the State for the benefit of the State and its citizens.

Expecting your active participation and thanking you,
Sincerely,
For MEDIA UNITY FOR FREEDOM OF PRESS,
Subhas Chandra Pattanayak,
Prasanta Patnaik,
Sampad Mohapatra,
D.N. Singh,
Rabi Das,
Sudhir Patnaik,
Dwijen Padhi,
Prafulla Das.

The government’s willful silence over attacks on journalists has emboldened miscreants in uniform to such extent that a lady reporter of a TV major was publicly embarrassed by obnoxious attempts by a section of Jawans to cow down her when she was covering the car festival of Sri Jagannath at Bhubaneswar on July 13. When her accompanist cameraman protested against the unexpected misdeed, he was brutally thrashed down by the maniac men and his camera was broken to pieces. Around forty Jawans were involved in the attack from whom only two are arrested and the rest are untouched. The more sordid part of the offense is that the police that has apprehended two of the Jawans, has not yet touched the officer(s) in charge of command over the said Jawans on the spot.

In the circumstances, even as the media persons unanimously condemned today the obnoxious act of the uniformed men, they decided to demonstrate their protest tomorrow in front of the Assembly in session.

MUFP strongly condemns the barbaric conduct of Bhubaneswar Police that has outraged the modesty of lady reporter Ipsita Madhumita of ETV who was covering the ISCON organized car festival of Sri Jagannath at Bhubaneswar. Police also have attempted to murder her accompanist cameraman Debasis Mallick and destroyed his camera, because he protested against the barbaric conduct on the spot.

MUFP holds that the climate of crime to which administrative inaction against culprits has largely contributed, has culminated in molestation of a lady reporter by the police personnel.

MUFP calls upon the Chief Minister to wake up and stop the police playing a menace as such and to instantly put the concerned police and take strongest possible criminal action against them for the heinous crime they have committed, which should be exemplary of punishment to police personnel for such offense.

MUFP also demands that both of the affected media persons be adequately compensated by the State .
MUFP calls upon media persons to strongly protest against and condemn this police atrocity with all the strength within their command..

Subhas Chandra Pattanayak,
Prasanta Patnaik,
D.N.Singh.
Sampad Mohapatra,
Rabi Das,
Sudhir Patnaik,
Gopal Mohapatra,
Dwijen Padhi
Prafulla Das.

The MUFP has resolved to organize an exhibition of photographs displaying attacks on the media-persons, their protest etc. and invite the public representatives, intellectuals, students, different civil societies including women organizations to visit the exhibitions and see for themselves about the plight of the media persons under the present regime. Subsequently such exhibitions would be organized in different districts and sub-divisional head quarters, the national capital and other important nerve-centers of the country.

The following resolutions were adopted in the meeting:

Resolution No. 1

Media Unity for Freedom of Press (MUFP) is deeply disturbed over total failure of State Administration to implement the Chief Minister’s repeated assurances for action against framing up media persons in false cases by the black-sheep in Police as well as physical attacks on them by the criminals and exploiters in Orissa. It unanimously holds that the Chief Minister’s inability to enforce his assurances has been contributing to rise in attack on Press. The MUFP strongly condemns the State Administration’s blatant failure to implement the orders of the Chief Minister to investigate into and take action against attacks on the Press and decides to wake up the public to the alarming situation by bringing out a white paper on attack on Press as well as by displaying pictures of the attacks and the victims of the gaggers of Press in public places in different parts of the State as democracy and journalistic ethics entail.

Resolution No.2

The MUFP demands immediate arrest of culprits involved in the attack against Kanak TV journalist Akhand and due compensation for or replacement of Mr Balaram Mohanty’s camera which was snatched away during the brutal attack on media persons inside the Silicon Institute of Technology .The MUFP urges the Commissioner of Police,Bhubaneswar-Cuttack to honor his promise to the MUFP delegation in this regard.

Resolution No.3

The MUFP also expressed deep shock over organized brutal attack on Sri Suryamani Mishra of Khabara by a group of miscreants and demanded immediate initiation of penal action against the culprits. It also demanded stringent actions against attackers on journalists in Kendrapara, Nayagarh and other places in the State.

Resolution No.4

MUFP notes that when the Working Journalists Welfare Fund lies defunct, the Chief Minister has been pleased to sanction funds from the CM’s Relief Fund for treatment of Enadu Correspondent at Parlakhemundi, Sri K. CH. Ratnam, when he was hospitalized for cardiac ailments. This Conference with pleasure appreciates the kind gesture and thanks the Chief Minister for his timely humanitarian help, even as it urges upon him to please activate and expand the corpus of the Welfare Fund in right earnest to fulfill its purpose.

Among others Subhas Chandera Patttanayak, Gopal Mohapatra, Prasanta Patnaik, Prafulla Das, Sudhir Patnaik, Manoranjan Mishra, Basudeb Mohapatra, Bauribandhu Moharana, Purusottam Thakur, Sharada Lahangir, Jatindra Das and Dinesh Das also spoke about the future course of action by MUFP to strengthen media unity and uphold Freedom of Press in the State despite all odds.

The speakers also appealed all the editors of newspapers and promoters of news channels and web media to extend their support to the MUFP in achieving their goal for protection of Freedom of Press.

The MUFP fully supports the mediapersons of Rourkela and all their steps to save the freedom and honour of Press.

Noting with concern that during the last one year assault on Press by the Police and by economic offenders in nexus with the Police has alarmingly increased taking advantage of nonchalant manners of the state administration, the MUFP has urged the Chief Minister to seriously review all the instances of assault on mediapersons and exemplary steps against the miscreants and to address himself to prevention of crime against Press.

The MUFP has also reminded the Chief Minister to institute Judicial Probe into brutal attack on media persons at the Silicon Institute of Technology, Bhubaneswar to find out the cause of death of the student, negligence of the police in filing an Unnatural Death Case and sending the body for post mortem, failure for produce the CD in the court even after five days of incident and helping the assaulters. It is sad that he having personally handed over with MUFP memorandum in this matter in the audience he had grated to its representative, and having required a detail report from the Home Secretary on the spot with the assurance that exemplary action in the instant case would promptly be taken by his government, no trace of action against the culprit institute and its operator goons is discernible as yet. This indicating official nexus with the miscreants, the MUFP has urged upon the Chief Minister once again to institute a time bound Judicial Probe by a Retired Judge of Orissa High Court without any further delay.

The MUFP has further urged upon the State administration to take exemplary steps against the P.G. Students of M.K.C.G. Medical College, Berhampur and the district Superintendent of Police without any delay in order to avoid unwanted confrontation between the media and the Government.

Media persons were justly doing their duty as news gatherers while covering the ugly and shameful incident at the Medical College hospital where the aggrieved relatives of a person who allegedly died due to a doctor’s negligence were mercilessly attacked by a gang of MKCG medical college students. This unruly gang attacked the media persons, damaged their cameras and even allegedly looted their cash and other valuables including cameras for capturing their criminal act on record.

What is equally shocking is the manner in which the local police behaved. The attack on media persons took place in the presence of policemen who preferred to look the other way. The SP of Berhampur who has been making all kinds of tall claims about his efficiency refused to meet the media persons who were on a dharna in front of the Baidyanathpur police station, demanding action against those responsible for the assault on them. By doing so the SP has only confirmed the suspicion that he is on the side of the attackers.

MUFP calls upon all media persons, editors and management of all newspapers, TV channels and Web Media as well as all concerned citizens who believe in the freedom of the press to join hands to demand the immediate arrest of the culprits, action against the Berhampur SP and local police personnel for willful negligence and a strong legislation that prescribes stringent punishment for those who intimidate or assault media persons carrying out their news assignments.

MUFP notes with deep concern the sharp rise in the number of incidents of assaults on media persons on duty and apathetic attitude of the State Government towards the assaulters and warns the state government of a serious confrontation if immediate preventive and corrective steps are not taken to ensure free and fair reporting by the media.

It may be recalled that despite demand of MUFP for institution of a judicial probe headed by a retired judge of High Court to probe into the bloody attack on media persons inside Silicon Institute of Engineering and Technology, the State Government has so far not taken any action in this regard. Though the Chief Minister had assured us of a probe into the incident, his promise is only gathering dust. Similarly, Industry Minister, Sri Raghunath Mohanty’s so-called order for a high level Departmental probe into the incident has vanished into thin air.

The MUFP therefore demands that the Chief Minister and Minister for Industries update us about the status of their promises and the follow-up action taken at their end without any further delay.

A number of media persons representing the print , electronic and web media were present in the meeting. Among them were Subhas Chandra Pattanayak (Orissa Matters), Sampad Mohapatra (ND TV), Prasanta Patnaik ( India TV), Rabi Das ( Ama Rajadhani ), Manorajan Mishra (OTV),Gopal Mohapatra (Sambad ), Jajati Karan ( CNN-IBN), Sarat Paikray (ETV), Prafulla Das ( The Hindu ), Ramesh Chandra Mohanty, Subodh Panigrahi ( Naxatra TV ), Kedar Mishra ( Anupam Bharat ) and others.

They have set a great example of media-civil society unity that has steeled our resolve to fight all attempts at gagging the media with all our might, the MUFP statement has said.

The MUFP once again expressed its grave concern over the callousness of the Government machinery in arresting the assaulters and bringing them to the book and has said the media persons would no longer remain silent over such attacks and would be forced to react in a democratic manner to compel the Government to act against the attackers and ensure exemplary punishment to them.

The MUFP also appealed to the media fraternity all over to express solidarity with the media persons and civil societies of Anugul and elsewhere in the state so as to ensure that the state government/administration would not sleep over such important matter and act without further delay.

Thank you Angul and congratulations to fellow media persons for earning such overwhelming support of the public through good and pro-people reporting, the MUFP has stated.

VIENNA, 10 May: A journalist in Orissa, India was brutally beaten on 6 May, a day after his paper published an article he wrote alleging irregularities in a government-funded welfare scheme.
Biranjan Mallick, who works for local vernacular newspaper Khabar in Suninda, a village in the Balanga district of the eastern Indian state of Orissa, was beaten after he wrote a report exposing financial irregularities in the National Rural Employment Guarantee (NREGA) scheme, a government-funded social assistance program administered by rural ‘panchayats’ or councils. Mallick was allegedly attacked by the elected head of the local panchayat and his supporters after officials arrived at the village to assess the veracity of his story.
According to a report by the Media Unity for Press Freedom (MUFP), a local group formed to combat the growing numbers of attacks against the media in Orissa, the attackers tied Mallick to a tree before beating him and stealing his camera and phone. The alleged attackers are reportedly affiliated with Biju Janata Dal, a political party that holds a share of power in the state government of Orissa, MUFP reported.
According to a spokesperson of the MUFP, three persons have been arrested for assaulting the journalist, but the main suspect remains at large. Mallick has also been receiving calls threatening revenge for the arrests and is reportedly concerned for the welfare of his family.
This is the latest in a growing number of attacks against the press in the eastern Indian state of Orissa.
On 8 May, several members of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), a paramilitary force in the town of Angul, allegedly attacked several journalists as they attempted to cover the beating of a local truck driver by the soldiers. The truck driver had allegedly run over the daughter of one of the personnel in his vehicle. When journalists tried to cover the beating, their cameras were seized and at least one journalist was injured.
According to information from MUFP, on 29 April, Chandrakanta Das, a journalist with the Oriya daily Dharitri was assaulted because he had reported on a robbery. Despite a protest by the Jagatsinghpur Journalists’ Association on 5 May, no action has been taken against the perpetrator of the attack.
On 27 April, a group of journalists who had gone to a local educational establishment to cover the death of a student, allegedly due to food poisoning, were assaulted, and at least two journalists were seriously injured.
There have also been several reports of journalists being arrested or harassed because of their alleged links to Maoist Communist insurgent organizations. The state and central government are locked in an increasingly violent struggle with separatist Maoist groups in Orissa and other states in India.
“These attacks against members of the press are unacceptable in a country such as India, which makes proud claims about its respect for democracy and press freedom,” said IPI Director David Dadge. “We call on the authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice and to end the growing trend of violence against journalists in Orissa.”

It is a matter of great concern that the police has yet to wake up to the murderous attack on journalist Chandrakanta Das of Dharitri on 29 April 2010 at 10.30 in presence of the general public by miscreant Kailash Bastia even though Das, rescued by the people present on the spot, has informed in writing of this offence at 11 AM to the police at Karsada. Over and above the physical assault, the miscreant has also robbed him of his gold chain and cash exceeding Rs.3,000/-. This assault was perpetrated as Das had reported a robbery in Dharitri that had irritated the local police as well as Kailas. Apprehending that the police inaction at the local level is generated by its nexus with criminals, the Jagatsinghpur Journalists association had moved the Director General of Police to intervene; but that having failed to buzz the DGP; they have staged a sit-in-demonstration on 5 May 2010 in front of his office.

The Media Unity for Freedom of Press expresses deep anguish over continuous attacks on media persons in Orissa and condemns police inaction against attackers on journalists in general and on Das in particular and calls upon the DGP as well as the State Government to ensure that in every case of assault on media persons by criminals affected by exposure in media, the police personnel of the area concerned be taken to task as abettors in the crime.

As we observe the World Press Freedom Day today, we have reasons to both rejoice and feel concerned about the developments in Orissa.

2009 offered us compelling reasons to unite under one umbrella and fight all attempts at muzzling and terrorizing the media and media persons and that saw the birth of a unique and broad platform called the Media Unity For Freedom of Press. The MUFP has been able to bring together all sections of the media across the state on several issues that threatened media’s basic rights and mandate to investigate and report the truth. The sense of unity among media persons on such occasions has been truly encouraging and friends belonging to several journalist unions have joined our efforts in very large numbers.

At the same time we have great many reasons to feel concerned about the growing challenges – be it from the administration, corporate sector, mafias or people who enjoy political clout as well as money and muscle power.

The cases that we have taken up in our brief existence – from attacks on Laxman Choudhury, Jagannath Bastia and Amulya Pati among several others down to the latest bloody attack on media persons at the Silicon Institute of Technology – clearly demonstrate a trend of growing intolerance against the media. Friends working in Maoist zones as well as in areas where people’s movements are taking place are among the most vulnerable to repression, physical attacks and even death threats from powers that be. The state government and the district administration are slowly but definitely turning against the idea of a fiercely independent press and we have reasons to apprehend they would fall back on draconian measures whenever they are exposed to public scrutiny.

Our only shield against organized or institutional attacks on the freedom of press is our newly achieved unity which we must preserve and protect against all odds and at any cost. We need to reiterate our commitment to the idea of press freedom through press unity on the World Press Freedom Day and resolve to strengthen the MUFP as a body that is above all divisive and petty considerations and one that is wedded to the idea of defending the self-respect as well as basic and inalienable right of the media to report the truth, come what may.

Resolution No. 1

This meeting condemns the bloody attack on mediapersons on duty covering plight of students of privately run Silicon Institute of Technology, Bhubaneswar. It appreciates the police action in arresting some of the spotted miscreants comprising management and staff of this institute; but simultaneously it puts on record that the police is yet to proceed in the right track, as all the arrested miscreants are enlarged on bail in absence of police ability to forward the case details promptly to the court of hearing and the body of the student that succumbed allegedly to food poisoning has been disposed off sans post-mortem and other medico-legally studies.

This meeting takes serious note of the advertisement of OPECA in various newspapers designed to denigrate the Press. OPECA advertisement goes on to say that “allegation against the Directors and employees of Silicon Institute of Technology for allegedly manhandling the media is absolutely false and fabricated”. When in subsequent advertisement the OPECA admitted the offense and offered unconditional apology, a team of its members have disowned it the next day and have openly tried to influence the Police Commissioner to drop the charges under 307 IPC under which prima-facie the attackers were booked. This meeting condemns the first ad. Of OPECA as blatant lie and resolves that the state government be called upon to appeal against the grant of bail to the miscreants specifically as their collective body has been trying to influence the Police to drop the charges under 307. It is clear that the miscreants were using their group to tamper with normal process of law by trying to influence the police commissioner to drop the charges of attempt to murder and if they are allowed to stay on bail, it cannot be said for sure that they will not try to tamper with evidences. Hence this meeting call upon the Government to go instantly on appeal against the bail order as well as to take action against the in-charge police authority that have helped the miscreants be enlarged on bail by not submitting the CD in time.

Taking into consideration the above scenario vis-à-vis the exhibition of cold silence by the Silicon College authorities over the sordid development this meeting hold that the Silicon College perpetrated the murderous attack on the media persons to obliterate the proofs of havoc they have played on the lives of students as well as to intimidate the Press and therefore, calls upon the Government to take exemplary action against SIT as a measure to discipline the errant traders of techno-education and to restore professional climate for the Press.

To bring the truth to light, this meeting of MUFP urges upon the Chief Minister to institute a time bound Judicial Commission of Enquiry under the Commission of Enquiry Act. to be headed by a Retired High Court Judge to probe into the incidents that lead to murderous attack on the media persons inside the Silicon Institute of Technology , after they went there to cover the alleged death of a student due to food poisoning, functioning of the SIT and all technical institutions who are members of OPECA, where neither the students nor the media persons are safe. The Commission may kindly probe into the cause of the sudden death of the student, role of police for not registering an Unnatural Death Case and handing over the body to the parents without ascertaining the cause of death and allowing the body for cremation. It may also probe into the role of the police in not filing the CD before the Court in time, role of the Public Prosecutor and circumstances under which all the ten accused persons were bailed out in absence of the Case Diary.

Resolution No.2

The MUFP expressed its grave concern over murderous attack on Mr. Amulya Pani by anti socials, while on duty. Though he has named the assaulters in his F.I.R. before the police so far the Kalinga Nagar police have not arrested the assaulters because of their high political connections.

This meeting of MUFP therefore urges upon the Chief Minister of Orissa to intervene in the matter and ensure arrest of the assaulters within a week and to take exemplary actions against the police officials and politicians for protecting the assaulters.

Resolution No. 3

This instance of bloody attack on media persons calls for immediate legislation against any such attack in future. Hence it is resolved that the government be moved to promulgate an ordinance pending framing of a law on physical protection of media persons, the nomenclature of which should be something like ‘Physical and Intellectual Protection of Media persons Act’ with provision of severe punishment. As such, this meeting calls upon the government to frame and promulgate an Ordinance styled as ‘physical and intellectual protection of media persons’ Order, 2010’ to be turned into an assize by the Assembly.

Resolution No. 4

It was shocking to note that the Lokpal of Orissa has been addressed by the Secretary of the Public Grievances & PA department to initiate appropriate action as per Section 15 (5) of Orissa Lokpal and Loayukta Act 1995 against journalists and media organizations that according to him have violated Section 15(4) of the said Act by publishing recommendations of the Lokpal in cases against Vedanta. Even as this meeting wants to make it clear that with evolution of peoples’ right to information, any restriction on press coverage of matters unrelated to defense privilege has become redundant; it is of the considered opinion that the concerned Secretary has no locus standi under the said Act to post such a notice to the Lokpal.

Hence it is resolved that the Secretary, PG&PA department has acted without authority in posting the notice against Press to the Lokpal and has, by seeking action “so as to prevent” the Press from publishing the Lokapal’s recommendations “in future”, has resorted to a criminal act of intimidation against the media persons/houses.
It is therefore further resolved that the role of the Secretary of the PG&PA department in the instant case is condemnable and therefore his action is condemned as anti-people, anti-Press and pro-dubious_industrial_operators. This meeting, on this ground, calls upon the State Government to take exemplary action against the PG&PA Secretary in order to assure that gagging of freedom of Press is not the job of this Government.

It was decided to submit these Resolutions to the Chief Minister in a Memorandum.

Eminent journalist Prasanta Pattanaik, who led the team, gives us a firsthand narration. Here is what he says:

Journalists Expose Corporate-State Nexus in Kalinga Nagar

Indian Express reporter Mr Amulya Pati and many other working journalists were attacked on 5th April when they were covering the BJP team led by its State unit President Jual Oram that was trying to enter into Gobarghat and other tribal villages to have a spot study of how the inhabitants there were brutalized by the Police and Corporate goons combine on 29th March, 2010.

Earlier a team of Congress leaders headed by former MLA Mr Sarat Kumar Rout was also prevented from entering into the area.

No journalists were allowed to meet the affected tribals who were physically attacked by the police and corporate goons, their houses looted, personal belongings damaged and livestock taken away.

Every body was prevented from meeting the tortured tribals of Kalinga Nagar as the corporate-Government nexus did not like the picture of their plight to come to light.

Inspired by MUFP, Bhubaneswar based journalists had taken a decision on 7th April 2010 to go in a team to the “prohibited and deprived” villages on 8th April, decrying all prohibitory orders and to meet the people to bring the truth to light. Accordingly a team comprising Prasanta Patnaik, Chandra Mishra, Ramesh Chandra Mohanty, Sudhir Patnaik , Vivekananda Dash, Bhabani Parija, and Bhimsen Kumar had left for Kalinga Nagar.

The local journalists were so much intimidated by the perpetrators of state-terror that some of them even tried to persuade us not to meet the affected tribals. It transpired that they ware not daring to accompany us in fear of the S.P. and the Collector! However some young and energetic journalists of Jajpur district who came by motor cycles joined us. A team of the former category, traveling in a brand new white Innova bearing registration number 3333, driving ahead of us from Chadhei Dhara square stopped in front of Kalinga Nagar police station and did not proceed ahead while the bike riding team led us further.

After we drove about 100 meters from the police station we found the road was blocked with stones and branches of trees. Such blockages we found in three places. However our young friends from the locality removed all the blockades in order to facilitate our movement further.

Gobarghat and 12 other tribal villages which have been branded as the fortress cluster is virtually kept out of bound for civil society bodies, politicians and even mediapersons for past many months by the police and local administration allegedly under instructions from the State Government and particularly from Finance Minister Prafulla Chandra Ghadei, representing the Assembly constituency.

Over 8,000 tribals residing in 13 villages near Orissa’s most talked about steel hub Kalinga Nagar live in confinement and fear for past many months as their villages are surrounded by large contingents of armed police, who terrorize them at frequent intervals. Their only “crime” is that they oppose acquisition of their fertile agricultural land for construction of a mega steel plant by the Tatas. They were opposed to construction of a so-called “common corridor road” leading only to the proposed site of Tata’s steel plant. Though they had announced to go on “peaceful demonstration” to press their seven point demands, the corporate-Government nexus was determined to crush them by using brutal police and hired goons.

On 2nd January, 2006 13 tribals were killed in police firing and one policeman was also killed when the tribals resisted against construction of boundary wall for the Tatas with heavy police deployment. The tribals under the banner of “Bisthapan Birodhi Jana Mancha ” were protesting against their displacement from their home lands, agricultural lands and forests to pave way for acquisition of land for Tatas and other industrial houses. They were pleading that since over ten thousands acres of barren lands were available near adjacent Sukinda area, there was no justification on displacing the tribals of Kalinga Nagar, where they were living from time immemorial depending on agriculture and forest products.

When Tatas and the State Government are bent upon acquiring the land of the tribals, the tribals are also determined not to leave their land at any cost. Dabar Kalundia, one of the leaders of Bisthapan Birodhi Mancha, says, “We will not spare an inch of land for the purpose of establishment of industry. That will be like selling our own mother.We will not allow our mother soil ( mati maa ) to be raped before our eyes…One Govt. officer had approached me and had persuaded me to sale my land at a higher price for industry, I had asked him:what price will you demand to sell your mother?” The officer went back”. Interestingly enough, the administration has declared Dabar Kalundia as an ” absconder “, though he is moving freely in his village and talking to the media on camera.

Some of the tribals of the area alleged that, only to assist Tatas to construct their plant on the lands of the tribals, the State administration has started constructing a “corridor road” by forcefully acquiring the lands of the tribals.

As the local villagers were protesting against such activities of the corporate-Government nexus, their villages have been surrounded by large contingents of armed police for months together and they are not allowed to come out of the villages for marketing, to go to hospital or even to attend the schools.

The only primary school in the village with a student strength of 120 have been abandoned since past two years as a result the students have been denied right to education. No developmental work is taking place in the area as the Government officials have branded it as “disputed area.”

No mediaperson was allowed entry into the area to meet the people and bring their plight to light.

The villagers alleged that recently a group of policemen and goons had forcibly entered into Gobarghati and Chandoli villages after opening fire at the villagers who had gathered near the village. They set ablaze their straw heaps and paddy stocks. Whosoever was a little prosperous amongst them attracted ransacking of their households. Gadgets like TV, electric fans, sewing machines, chairs, tables, dish antennas, utensils, etc. were destroyed and valuables were looted. The police-goon-combine set ablaze a number of bicycles, motor cycles etc and took away chickens, goats, and other domestic animals and birds. All this happened when prohibitory orders under Section 144 of Cr.P.C. were imposed in the area.

Even though the local scribes were covering on duty the BJP team’s visit to the area the Corporate-State was determined to hide from public eyes, one of them, Amulya Pati, was deliberately beaten up by four of the goons quite close to the Minister hailing from the concerned constituency. A seriously injured Pati has named those in his F.I.R. But no action is yet initiated against because of their proximity to the Minister.

The villagers exhibited the rubber bullets and pellets fired at them that has injured and incapacitated around 30 of them.

A Sarvodaya activist, Dr.Biswajit, showed us the pellets which he had brought out from bodies of some injured persons by operation.

We were the fist team of scribes to visit the area on Friday. Earlier, though some TV and print media journalists had tried to enter the villages following the assault by the police and the anti-socials, they were prevented both by the police and goons. The cameras, cell phones and personal belongings of some scribes were snatched away and some of them were beaten up mercilessly.

We met Mr Amulya Pati at his house where he is undergoing treatment for injury. It may take about a month more for his recovery. Amulya informed the team that his main assaulters were henchmen of Finance Minister Mr Prafulla Ghadei and his M.L.A. son. Though he has mentioned the names of his assaulters in his F.I.R., the police so far have not cared to arrest them. We gathered from reliable sources that there were attempts to pressurize Mr. Pati to drop the names of two assaulters from the F.I.R.

Media Unity for Freedom of Press (MUFP) has expressed deep concern over this unprecedented assault on Press freedom and demanded for immediate withdrawal of the ban as it interferes with free and fair reporting of the ground realities and the actual status of the victims of State violence.

Under call of MUFP, Bhubaneswar today witnessed an unprecedented congregation under the ‘Freedom of Press Tree’ in front of the state Information center (Soochana Bhawan) of media persons beyond boundaries of trade unions to condemn the attack on their colleagues and gagging of Press.

It was a silent protest, but the condemnation was sharpened with speaking pictures of the prevalent scenario as perceived by media.

We present here a few of those pictures as samples:

No elaboration needed. The pictures are self explanatory.

If mediapersons are debarred from spotting what exactly happens, they would grasp the scenario as circumstantial evidences entice. These pictures depict that as also they speak.

Because, howsoever severe the repression be, the silent people will not relinquish their right to speak.

The accident took place near Pipili while Mukesh was returning from Puri along with Mr Parvat Kumar, reporter of the channel. The car in which both were traveling crashed against a roadside tree, resulting in serious injuries of Mukesh. Both Pravat and Mukesh were brought to Apollo Hospital, Bhubaneswar where Mukesh was declared dead.

The Presidium of Media Unity for Freedom of Press (MUFP) has deeply mourned the sad demise. In a condolence message it has stated, “Mukesh was a wonderful person and a dedicated professional. People who have had the privilege of interacting or working with him would always remember him for his innate goodness. He would stand up for just any one in distress, be it a colleague or a stranger. His untimely demise has left everyone
shell-shocked. We offer our deepest condolence to his widow and other members of his family and wish them the strength to bear with the tragic loss”.

The MUFP has also wished Sri Prabhat Kumar to recover and get back into action at the earliest.

At the same time, MUFP has urged upon the employers of Aaj Tak to stand solidly behind Mukesh’s family since he was the only earning member of the family who died while on duty.

The Police seldom act against the Press in a democracy as both of them usually supplement each other in locating and isolating anti-social elements and act as watchdogs of people’s interest in their respective sphere. Only when the political boss instigates, the Police take a different turn.

Political boss may be the Chief Minister of a State or the Prime Minister of the Country or may be a local hoodlum whom Police knows as a ruling party heavyweight, basking under powers of the CM or the PM.

Sometimes, quite rarely, some of the crooks somehow having made their way into the Police organization, fidgeting over exposure of their misdeeds, contrive ways to harass the reporters whom they suspect or spot to have stripped them, like the one recently witnessed in Laxman Choudhury case. Otherwise, unless the political boss instigates, the Police usually stays friendly to Press.

Extracts from Aromv, as you see it here, describes how its reporter and photographer were debarred from covering the 15th National Youth Festival at Bhubaneswar, with the excess exceeding limits to embarrass a lady reporter as she has narrated.

We have already published the Statement of Media Unity for Freedom of Press (MUFP) that condemns the alarming highhandedness resorted to against selected scribes on duty by some well placed officers of Bhubaneswar Police Commissionerate.

The Aromv scribes, Chandan Paikray and Tikan Mishra, subjected to Police highhandedness at Kalinga Stadium have narrated that the concerned Inspector – IIC, Sahidnagar – had told them sans qualms that in obstructing them he was merely carrying out the orders of the Commissioner.

As far as available information suggests, the Police Commissioner had no personal grudge to settle against the concerned journalists or against Aromv. Why then should he have wanted the Aromv Journalists debarred from covering the national event?

Even as the Police Commissioner or his mouthpiece has not yet countered the open allegation, the question that hunts is: Did the Police act against the Aromv journalists under instigation of its political boss? The ethical norm of Police conduct vis-à-vis the Press as discussed supra makes the question clamant.

Political Power Center acts against the Press only when fear of exposure maddens it into the greasy tactics of silencing Press through intimidation.

On this premise, it may be assumed that the coming days may see umpteen tussles between the wayward Power and the principled Press in the State of Orissa.

The Odia daily Aaromv has come up with shocking reports about how the police prevented the entry of its reporter and photo-journalist at the Kalinga Stadium on Saturday. The report quotes the IIC, Saheed Nagar police station as saying that he had received instructions from top police bosses not to allow entry to Aaromv reporters and photo journalists! There is another report on how a young lady journalist from the same newspaper had to face humiliations at the hands of a senior police officer.

This is simply unacceptable. We demand a probe by the Chief Secretary, Odisha into the allegations because this is a very serious matter that threatens press freedom. We expect the inquiry report to be submitted within 15 days.

We have never claimed we are special citizens but surely we enjoy certain special rights while pursuing our professional assignments. It’s rather strange that neither the I&PR department nor the Bhubaneswar Police Commissionerate ever bothered to issue proper passes with photo identity to media persons. Nor did they earmark specific areas for coverage by the video journalists and photo journalists. That is one of the major causes behind the chaotic situation that prevailed on the inaugural ceremony of the NYF-15 and this lapse on the part of the organisers and the police need to be part of the Chief Secretary’s inquiry.

The police are free to impose reasonable restrictions on access and entry to ensure discipline and smooth flow of schedule in any public function. They also have the right to take to task any media person who violates law. But to single out one newspaper and its reporters for persecution is most condemnable. That the police felt aggrieved by negative reports in Aaromv is understandable but that does not give them the right or the authority to deny the Aaromv team access.

Subhas Chandra Pattanayak,
Prasanta Patnaik,
Rabi Das,
D.N. Singh,
Sudhir Patnaik,
Sampad Mohapatra,
Prafulla Das,
Gopal Mohapatra.

Bhubaneswar
January 10, 2010.