TEHELKA.COM:Orissa’s big news story: scribes in poll fray

Orissa’s big news story: scribes in poll fray




Sudarshan Chhotoray

Cuttack



Nearly 36 journalists, including 11 newspaper editors, have applied for tickets to contest forthcoming assembly and Lok Sabha elections in Orissa. And if one goes by what the spokespersons of the political outfits say, most of them might get them too.



Orissa Congress Party spokesman Arya Kumar Gyanendra confirms that at least 14 scribes have applied for party tickets for the assembly elections and three for the Lok Sabha. “We are likely to field a galaxy of journalists,” he informs. Soumya Ranjan Patanaik (editor, Sambad) and Ranjib Biswal, (editor, Samay) are likely to be fielded by the party for the Bhubaneswar and Jagatsinghpur Lok Sabha seats respectively. Others in the Congress list include Batakrushana Tripathy (editor, Dinalipi), Sibanda Ray (editor, Kalinga Mail), Sharat Raut (editor, Manthan), Bikash Kar (editor, Matrubhasa), Bismaya Mohanty, (editor, Ajikali), Bijoya Rautray (editor Utakalamail), Chitaranjan Mishra (editor, Muktimandap), Gopanarayan Das (editor Nutan Barta), Akhaya Pati (Dainika Asha) and Aloya Mohanty (Amruta Sandesh).



The state’s rulling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) list is comparatively modest. But the party is sure to nominate Tathagata Satapathy, editor of the leading Oriya daily Dhariti and Bhatruharu Mahatb, former editor of Prajatantra, for the Dhenkanal and Cuttack parliamentary seats respectively. “We are fielding them because of their wining chances and not because they are editors and journalists,” says BJD General Secretary Narendra Swain.



However, BJD’s coalition partner BJP seems sceptical. Says senior state BJP leader Samir Mohanty: “It is unfortunate for the newspaper readers as well as the people of Orissa that the journalists want to call the shots in politics.”



Son of former state Chief Minister Nandini Satapathy, Tathagata defends his decision by saying that since other industries are non-existent in Orissa, the state politicians have always controlled the media. “The media here is more pro people and less market-driven. That’s why the journalists have earned the respect of the people,” he adds.



Soumya Ranjan Patanaik endorses his stand. “Orissa has a history of eminent journalists joining politics. Biju Patanaik and Chintamani Panigrahy were successful editors. So were Harekrushna Mohatab, Nandini Satapathy and JB Patanaik, who served the state as chief ministers,” he says.



Like Tathagata, quite a few contemporary Oriya journalists come from political families. Bhatruhari is the son of former chief minister Harekrushana Mohatab. Soumya Ranjan Patanaik is the son-in-law of former Chief Minister JB Patnaik while Ranjib Biswal’s father-in-law Basant Biswal has been the deputy chief minister.



However, Samahit Bal, editor of a leading Oriya daily, Pragatibadi, considers journalists meddling with politics bad news for the free press. “Politicians have always meddled with the media, if we start meddling in politics who’ll look after the readers’ interests?” he asks. Bal claims he himself was invited to contest elections by all the three major political parties in the state but turned down the offer.



Santosh Dash, well-known political analyst and associate editor of Samyabadi, agrees with Bal. “As a result of this collaboration, there is no truly independent media in the state,” he rues.