A veteran media ,person who fraught for the cause of media persons left for his heavenly abode on May 24, 2019 night at Cuttack.
Sri De was d Manager of UNI in Odisha till emergency was clamped in d seventies. Union govt amalgamated PTI, UNI, Hindustan Samachar to form Samachar. Sri De could not digest such undemocratic decision of central govt & had d courage to challenge it in Odisha High Court. During emergency sycophancy was ruling d roost & judges were no exception. Ranganath Mishra was the Chief Justice, who later elevated to the post of CJ, Supreme Court. De’s case file could not see the light of day AND it was said to have been missed in Odisha High Court.Thus De did not get justice & even was thrown out of service after emergency.
Janatantra honouring the veteran Journalist Ardhendu Mohan De.
(In Picture: Executive Editor – Basudev Mahapatra, Editor – Vivekanand Dash, Mrs and Mr Ardhendu Mohan De, Managing Editor – Banita Sahoo. April 30, 2012 ).
I was lucky enough to be closely associated with Ardhendu Babu since long while I was working for Amrita Bazar Patrika , Cuttack edition in 1966. He loved me like an elder brother and gave me opportunity to learn many things from him. I was frequenting his home in Tinkonia Bagicha where boudi was serving us delicious food.
During split of IFWJ and formation of NUJ (I), Ardhendu babu pioneered the move foe formation of Odisha Union of Journalists along with Mr. Sunit Ghosh, Narayan Rath, Devendra Mohanty, Rabinarayan Mohanty, Swarup Jena, Subal Jena, Adwait Biswal, Arjun Ranjan Panda , myself and few others.
I am shocked and saddened by his demise as Odisha lost a great media person and the vacuum will remain for ever. I pray the almighty to rest his soul in peace and give enough strength to Boudi and all family members to bear the loss. ·
Prasanta Patnaik