Eighty journalists assemble to condemn the “black policy”

By Akshaya Kumar Sahoo

Bhubaneswar, Aug.20: In a rare display of unity, over 80 scribes - both from print and electronic media – assembled at Sardar Patel hall here on Sunday and condemned the recently framed accreditation policy of the Orissa Government.The journalists also demanded that the government should withdraw the policy and, instead, bring about a new and amended policy that protects the interest of the journalists.The scribes – while dubbing the document as “black policy” – maintained that it was meticulously designed to curtail the press freedom.Rajaram Satpathy, in his introductory speech, described the policy as “anti-press” and observed that it was high time that all media persons disapproved the policy.Veteran journalist Gopal Mishra, who presided over the meeting, stressed the need for review of the policy.Senior journalists like Subash Patnaik, Ramhari Mishra, Barendrakrushna Dhal, Sampad Mohapatra, K.Ravi, Ramesh Mohanty, Devi Patnaik, Dilip Bisoi, Prasanna Mohanty and several others also criticised the new accreditation policy.They also appealed the nominated members of the newly constituted Press Accreditation Committee to resign so as to create moral pressure on the government to withdraw the policy.Three of the seven members of the Accreditation Committee – Mr Nageswar Patnaik, Mr Sandip Mishra and Mr B.N. Adhikari – were present in the meeting. Mr Patnaik and Mr Mishra differed with the proposal to resign from the committee saying it was not necessary to build pressure on the government. They suggested for constitution of a sub-committee on the recommendations of which the accreditation policy could be amended.Mr B.N. Adhikari, was very vocal when he disclosed that he had initially expressed his desire to resign from the Committee when he was told by two journalists that they (the journalists) had recommended his name to the information and public relations minister Debasis Nayak to be taken in the committee.Paresh Das, one of the members of the Accreditation Committee, also expressed solidarity with the “concern” and “anxiety” of the journalists and assured that he would carry to the State Government the feeling of the journalists.Four members of the Committee, including Lalit Patjoshi and Ambika Das, were seen absent in the meeting.Three resolutions were adopted in the meeting. The first resolution sought withdrawal of the new policy, the second resolution appealed the nominated members to resign from the Committee and the third resolution sought for formation of a Sub-committee to hold talks with the government.As per the resolution, a 10-member Sub-committee was formed to hold discussions with the State Government on the matter. Mr Ramesh Mohanty has been nominated as the convenor of the Sub-committee.Among others who attended the meeting include Srimoy Kar, Soumyajit Patnaik, Subrat Das, Deba Mohanty, Jimut Mangaraj, Harekrusna Choudhury, Bauribandhu Moharana, Jyotsna Routraray, Sulochana Das, Sarada Lahangir, Ratikant Mohanty, Siba Mohanty, Satya Sundar Barik, Prabhu Kalyan Mohapatra, Pradyumna Mohanty, Hrusikesh Mohanty and Partha Sarathi Jena.