A Scribe Who Was Covering A Rescue Failed To Be Rescued And Died

pstrongBy D N SinghstrongppAny obituary would fall short of the profundity of the tragic death of a journalist of a local news channel Arindam Das on Tuesday One of the most familiar faces in Odia televisions Arindam requires no further introduction nbspnbspppEnthusiastic daring and cool the deceased scribe had all that the profession demands But again a decision matters and todayrsquos decision to accompany the ODRAF rescue team boat rocking through the torrential gush of water in the river could have been avoidedppIt was Arindam who had warned me not to do a PTC barely 45 minutes before the Failin landfall in Gopalpur whilenbsp I was there at the Gopalpur circuit house and unable to take the risk when the speed velocity had crossed almost 120 kmph I did desist from the PTC as Arindam had suggestedppBut today the same cool and daring journalist somehow failed by yards today risking the boat ride His departure is just heartrending and inconsolableppAs a journalist he was extremely methodical and a combo of trenchant dare and soothing coolnbsp Today is a day of reflection and remembering 1999 when he was there at Paradeep for covering the most devastating oceanic invasion by the Super Cyclone nbspppJournalism is a profession is not that easy as it appears It can entail grievous threats to a person who might not take the right decision while walking into a danger zone where there is a threat to life or any physical safetyppWhat happened on Tuesday during the elephant rescue operation in which two journalists of a local news channel suffered the life-in-danger situation reflects the hazards involvedppA right decision at the right time is something that matters and that is where the two scribes slipped from the track and unfortunately fell into the vicious whirlpool of pounding water currentppWhen casting my mind back to some hours when in a news bulletin the official of the SCB Medical College made that shocking announcement regarding the death of Arindam Das was shatteringppHe left a position in the realm of electronic media which has elevated him as one of the most-watched reportersp