अंडमान में यॉट मरीना के विरोध में धरने पर बैठे प्रेस क्लब का तम्बू ग़ायब

Hi, friends! Here's sharing my recent news story published in the "Info India", the islands' first colour Hindi Daily, with you all. Enjoy the read and do let me know of your views on the same, as well. Cheers! 

पोर्ट ब्लेयर, 26 सितम्बर/- आज विश्व पर्यटन दिवस है! द्वीपसमू,ह में प्रति वर्ष इस दिन को विशेष कार्यक्रमों के आयोजन के साथ राज्य स्तर पर मनाया जाता है! द्वीप प्रशासन की ओर से इस अवसर पर हर वर्ष द्वीपों में पर्यटन के क्षेत्र में प्रशासन द्वारा चलाई जा रही विभिन्न विकासात्मक गतिविधियों एवं कार्यक्रमों के सम्बन्ध में सूचनाएँ जारी की जाती हैं! इस वर्ष, इस अवसर पर प्रशासन द्वारा द्वीपों में पर्यटन के क्षेत्र में तेज़ी से विकास करने के उद्देश्य से 10 जून को मलेशियन कंपनी, रीकॉंन  पी.एम्.एम्. प्राइवेट लिमिटेड के साथ समझौते के रूप मेंऐतिहासिक वाइपर द्वीप में शुरू की गयी 50 बर्थों वाली यॉट मरीना और 30 बिस्तरवाले थ्री स्टार होटल वाली परियोजना एक अत्यंत महत्वपूर्ण कदम के रूप में सामने आई है! विरोध की पुरज़ोर आवाज़ें उठने के बावजूद, द्वीपों में पर्यटन के विकास को विशाल स्तर पर और तेज़ करने को प्रतिबद्ध प्रशासन ने वाइपर द्वीप पर इस महत्वाकाँक्षी परियोजना को हरी झंडी देने में देर नहीं की! 

तम्बू के ग़ायब होने के बाद के ताज़े दृश्य में सुभाष चन्द्र प्रेस क्लब के महासचिव, श्री श्याम सिंह यादव

इस अहम् परियोजना का विरोध करने वाली विभिन्न संस्थाओं में से एक दल है पोर्ट ब्लेयर का सुभाष चन्द्र प्रेस क्लब, जिसके कार्यकर्ता और सदस्य पिछले क़रीब आठ महीनों से नियमित रूप से इस परियोजना का घोर विरोध करते हुए सचिवालय के मुख्य द्वार के पास बने मैदान पर लगातार धरना प्रदर्शन किये जा रहे हैं! इस वर्ष 5 मार्च को शुरू किये गए इस धरने के पाँच दिन के भीतर ही प्रशासन की ओर से कुछ बड़े अधिकारियों ने उनसे इस सम्बन्ध में बातचीत की थी, परन्तु अपनी माँगें न माने जाने के कारण, ये लोग तब से लेकर आज तकछुट्टी के दिनों को छोड़, रोज़ाना सुबह से शाम तक यहाँ धरना प्रदर्शन करते आ रहे हैं!

इस बीच, अचानक हुए एक घटनाक्रम में, रोज़ की ही तरह, जब इस मंगलवार को ये लोग धरना-स्थल पर पहुँचे, तो इन्होंने वहाँ लगे अपने तम्बू को ग़ायब पाया! ताज्जुब एवं रोष से भरे सुभाष चन्द्र प्रेस क्लब के महासचिव, श्री श्याम सिंह यादव ने तुरंत अबरडीन थाने में इस मामले की शिक़ायत दर्ज़ कराई! पुलिस ने मौक़े पर पहुँच सचिवालय के मुख्य द्वार पर तैनात सुरक्षा गार्डों से पूछताछ की तो गार्डों ने 24 सितम्बर को शाम क़रीब छः बजे से रात नौ बजे के बीच तम्बू के ग़ायब होने की घटना घटी होने की आशंका ज़ाहिर की, जब रोज़ाना की ही तरह, शाम छः बजे अपना तम्बू वहीं छोड़कर ये प्रदर्शनकारी वहाँ से जा चुके थे!

तम्बू ग़ायब होने से पहले धरने के दृश्य में सांसद

प्रेस क्लब के महासचिव श्री यादव ने इस अप्रत्याशित घटना के पीछे प्रशासन पर आरोप लगाते हुए सवाल खड़ा किया है कि पिछले आठ महीनों से जिस तम्बू को कोई आँच नहीं आई, उसे अचानक से सचिवालय जैसे सुरक्षित इलाक़े से आसमान खा गया या ज़मीन निगल गयी! उनका कहना है कि उनका यह विरोध-प्रदर्शन सीधे प्रशासन के ख़िलाफ़ है, इसलिए प्रशासन ने ही तम्बू पर हाथ साफ़ किया है! इस पर, पुलिस का कहना है कि सचिवालय के सुरक्षाकर्मी वहाँ उनके तम्बू की सुरक्षा के लिए नहीं, बल्कि सचिवालय की सुरक्षा के लिए तैनात रहते हैं! अपने साज़-ओ-सामान की रखवाली करना उनका स्वयं का काम है!

फ़िलहाल, आज बिना तम्बू के ही उनका धरना-प्रदर्शन बाकायदे जारी रहा! गौरतलब है कि इस मामले में इस प्रेस क्लब को द्वीपों के सांसद का भी पूरा समर्थन प्राप्त है! अतः अब देखना यह है कि इस सारे प्रकरण के बारे में सांसद की क्या प्रतिक्रिया रहती है और आखिरकार, अचानक ग़ायब हुए इस तम्बू की गुत्थी कब और कैसे सुलझती है!

CISF TO BEGIN SEA-PATROLLING IN ANDAMAN

Port Blair, 14th October/- Operating since the year 2002, the islands' first Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) unit wrapped up the first Inter-personal Meet organised for its personnel at the newly established Sports Club at the Veer Savarkar Airport, here this evening. Organised with the vision of improving coordination between the force's amiable personnel and those of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and providing essential recreational facilities to them, the meet came to a close with the final matches of various Badminton events held today.

The chief organiser of the Meet, CISF's mercurial Deputy Commandant, Dharamveer Yadav informed that the AAI has benignly assured them of equipping the indoor recreation and sports facility for their benefit by providing rubberised flooring and other requisite materials soon so that indoor sports events like badminton, table-tennis and carom can be held on a regular basis in a bid to boost the level of fitness and the performance output of the force's personnel. He further informed that a bigger unit of the CISF, with about 120 odd personnel is expected to begin operating in about a month's time at the islands' major harbours. 

This has come up as a major boost to the added security requirements at the principal harbour area around the city of Port Blair, wherein the administration is gearing up fast to effect various futuristic tourism developmental plans and projects. This unit, he said, would carry out regular patrolling in the port waters and provide much-needed security surveilance to the harbours of Haddo, Chatham and Phoenix Bay in coordination with the Port Management Board (PMB).

The inaugural Badminton tournament that began on the eighth of this month, had ten partcipants in the singles and five teams partaking in the doubles event. Constable C B Singh won the singles final match defeating the runners up, Sub Inspector, Sunil Kumar, while the duo got going together electrically to defeat the opposite team of Constable P V Samrat and Constable Manoj K M in the doubles event held today at the airport's Sports Club. The Airport Director (AAI), Mr. Manoj Gangal, Commander Goyal of the Indian Navy and the Deputy Commandant, CISF, Port Blair, Mr. Dharamveer Yadav gave away the trophies to the winners and the runners up participants.

HINDI DAILY "INFO INDIA" LAUNCHED IN ANDAMAN

Adding another feather to its cap, the Echo Group of Publications on Monday rolled out its third newspaper in the islands - a bright broadsheet Hindi daily christened ‘Info India’ with the desire to introduce a new trend in journalism and contribute for the upliftment of the society. The Chief Secretary, Mr Anand Prakash was the chief guest on the occasion. The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Mr DV Negi, Director General of Police, Mr SB Deol, Secretary to LG, Mr Satish Mathur and Associate Professor, Hindi, JNRM, Mr Vyas Mani Tripathi shared the dais with the chief guest. The launch function held in the auditorium of the Tagore College of Education here was also attended by a number of top bureaucrats, political leaders, litterateurs and the general public.

Officially releasing the first set of "Info India", the Chief Secretary underlined the role of media in the society. “Newspapers play a ‘bridge’ role between the administration and the general public by reporting happenings from all spheres. However, newspapers should report objectively based on facts rather than sensationalizing stories. Balanced reporting is the hallmark of true journalism and I hope the new Hindi daily will live up to the expectations of the society,” Mr Anand Prakash said. "The Echo of India has earned a name for itself through its objective reporting and I hope "Info India" will emulate the pattern in the days to come,” the Chief Secretary said assuring all possible administrative support to the publication.

Congratulating the Info India management for the feat, the Director General of Police, Mr SB Deol called for concerted efforts to ensure the newspaper reaches every nook and corner of this island territory. “The islands media has grown manifold in the last few years; however the geographical isolation of this territory has been hindering the reach of newspapers to many islands here. A mechanism needs to be worked out to make certain newspaper availability in every inhabited island so that the masses are kept informed of the day to day happenings in the islands and country,” Mr Deol said.

Earlier, the Editor, Info India, Mr ON Jaiswal welcomed the gathering. The CEO, 'Echo group of Publications’, Mr Asish Laha proposed the vote of thanks. Mr Shrinath Vashishtha, Sub Editor, Info India, coordinated the programme.

JOURNALISM & THE LIGHT OF ANDAMANS

Last week, I came across a copy of a supposedly leading national newspaper, named… well; naming it here would be unethical; which carried some utterly slanderous & uncouth remarks about a well-known spotless personality and I found myself musing over as to what ‘Journalism’ is actually, all about and what are the salient standards and ethics that journalists are supposed to follow and maintain. A bit of an online research revealed the following:

One of the leading voices in the U.S. on the subject of Journalistic Standards and Ethics is the Society of Professional Journalists. The Preamble to its Code of Ethics states:

...public enlightenment is the forerunner of justice and the foundation of democracy. The duty of the journalist is to further those ends by seeking truth and providing a fair and comprehensive account of events and issues. Conscientious journalists from all media and specialties strive to serve the public with thoroughness and honesty. Professional integrity is the cornerstone of a journalist's credibility.

Well, that more or less, sums it up for the standing of the daily I was talking about and establishes the standards and ethics that ought to be maintained by objective journalists catering to all media the world over.

Professional journalism, in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, I would say has been in a nascent stage ever since the establishment of the penal settlement. Throughout this circumstantially protracted period of infancy, there’ve been umpteen instances of aspiring individuals venturing to establish newspapers and magazines from time to time, but none succeeded in totality, except ‘The Daily Telegrams’, the daily paper run by the Andaman & Nicobar Administration, which has irrefutably established itself as nothing but the raw, undisguised mouthpiece of the A & N Administration.

Although there have been quite a good number of individual freelance writers catering to the most reputed of national newspapers in the mainland India, some of whom rose to national and international fame beyond the territorial limits of the Islands as well. Their magnificent works on multifarious subjects were recognized highly and widely. But there has, constantly, been an inscrutable dearth of standard professional newspapers in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands all the while, which is a matter that inspires further research and analysis. 

“‘The Light of Andamans’ was born out of the zeal and determination of one man; Paras Ram, to fight against the suffocating Kafkaesque atmosphere on the society that existed even after 30 years of Independence under bureaucratic rule. It was a hangover of the ‘Raj’ that extended much too long in the Islands,” writes Govinda Raju, the seasoned & proficient present editor of the weekly, who basks in his lyrical sobriquet – ‘Raz Andamani’.

He, further, writes in the ‘about us’ section of the online edition of the weekly, “He started ‘The Light of Andamans’ in 1975. But it was not a smooth sailing. It was printed in letter press and there were only three such presses in Port Blair.”

Paras Ram, the founder of ‘The Light of Andamans’

“After a few issues, the bureaucrats found it too unpalatable for their refined taste. Words went out to ensure that the paper was not printed. He took the next logical step and set up a press of his own after pledging his house to the bank.”

“‘The Light of Andamans’ had always been a crusader, taking up the causes that no other newspaper would touch. In doing so, it very often stepped on the toes of the authorities and had to face persecution in the form of denial of advertisements and numerous court cases against Mr. Paras Ram. He was arrested and prosecuted for his free and fearless reporting. But he continued in the same vein till ill health caught up with him. He had to give up and the publication came to a halt in 2003.”

Basudev Dass and Govinda Raju of ‘Gezira Publications Private Limited’ contacted Mr. Paras Ram in the year 2005 for transfer of the title in a bid to revive the second oldest newsmagazine from extinction and also to carry forward the mission that Mr. Paras Ram had started. He willingly agreed to transfer the title without any financial consideration.

“The Newsmagazine, under the new management, has undergone a sea change both in form and content. It turned into a full-fledged tabloid with 12 pages with plenty of photographs making both pleasing to the eyes and soothing for the mind. The quality of printing, the layout everything is unique as compared to other journals of the same genre. The contents are both refreshing, and thought provoking as well.”

“It has acquired a position where it influences the policies of the Administration and the Government of India in vital matters concerning the development of the islands, protection of aboriginal tribes and addressing the problems of the disadvantaged groups. The newsmagazine is known and appreciated for its bold, free, fair and balanced reporting.”

Govinda Raju

Govinda Raju and his team have worked very hard to rebuild the reputation, goodwill and a healthy new image of the newsmagazine brick by brick and I personally feel that the established codes of standards and ethics would always be upheld and maintained by ‘The Light of Andamans’ as long as the fervent ‘Raz Andamani’ is in charge.

Now, with the impressive, professionally done online edition at http://www.lightofandaman.com the weekly is more easily accessible to readers from all over. I wish the exceptional newsmagazine all the very best and look forward to gorge on every issue every week!!!

"A good newspaper, I suppose, is a nation talking to itself" - Arthur Miller