Mrunal Manmay Dash

A lifelike statue of OTV journalist Arindam Das was unveiled by Odisha Television Network’s Managing Director (MD) Jagi Mangat Panda on his first death anniversary at his ancestral home in Keonjhar’s Raikala.

Following the unveiling of the statue, a memorial service was also held at his village which was joined by OTV News Editor Radhamadhab Mishra, other senior officials of OTV, family members and eminent personalities including OTV MD Jagi Mangat Panda.

Speaking at the memorial service, Panda said, “Arindam was the bravest of all the journalists I have ever come across. The purpose of unveiling his statue is to make the younger generations get inspired by his heroics and ethics as a journalist. Not only his colleagues at OTV, but our millions of viewers also miss him dearly.”

His colleague and senior at OTV, Radhamadhab Mishra said, “He had created a niche for himself in the field of reporting. He was a tall slim personality, but his passion for journalism made him tower over many greats in the field.”

“When he (Arindam) joined OTV, he developed a penchant for calamity reporting. Whenever there was a cyclone or flood, we knew who we want that to report. In fact, he himself would force us to send him to ground zero. His unique style of reporting made him a household name in Odisha,” Mishra added.

A book was also released on the occasion containing testaments from Arindam’s friends and family on his life.

Going by the ‘Tithi,’ today is the first death anniversary of Arindam. On September 24, 2021 Arindam had breathed his last while covering a rescue operation of an elephant stranded in Mahanadi river near Mundali in Cuttack.

Das was on a boat with OTV cameraperson Prabhat Sinha and members of the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force. They were on their way to rescue an elephant stuck near a bridge. The powerboat they had boarded overturned due to the strong current in the river. Arindam along with the cameraman were rushed to SCB Medical College and Hospital. But Arindam was declared brought-dead.

scrollToTop