There is no law in India to protect journalists working in conflict and dangerous areas,” said political and communication advisor, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Surinder Singh Oberoi while addressing working journalists at a workshop here on Tuesday jointly organised by the Odisha State Branch of the Indian Red Cross Society and the ICRC.
Oberoi, an erstwhile noted journalist, said the scribes throughout the world have been demanding immunity from their Governments so that they could get freedom to express their thoughts and could write without bias. The journalists have the same fundamental rights in the country what the common people have, he added.
While quoting a paragraph from the UN Commission on Human Rights, he said Press freedom is one of the pillars of a democratic society. Consequently, States have the primary responsibility to ensure protection and security of journalists and are responsible for ensuring that crimes against media professionals are brought to justice, he ended the quote. Though some countries have their own laws and protection norms to protect scribes, Oberoi said, India has not developed the safety norms till today.
Inaugurating the workshop on ‘Ethics of Reporting in Emergency’, Benjamin Wahren of the ICRC lauded mediapersons of the State who had played a vital role to make people aware about the cyclonic storm Phailin that hit Odisha coast on October 12 last..
Another ICRC member, Marek Resich, told mediapersons about the international humanitarian law. How their organisation plays a major role to help the war victims and people spending lives in the conflict zones, he narrated after showing a film produced by the ICRC.
IRCS Odisha State Branch (OSB) secretary Dr Mangala Prasad Mohanty said the main purpose of the workshop was to bring practical knowledge to mediapersons who are reporting on any disaster or conflict situations. The assumption is that these professionals should be aware of the regulations of conflict and first aid and have sufficient knowledge of the national and international treaties and laws, he added. Dr Bikas K Prasad and Jashobanta Narayan Jena taught the journalists on the first aid training with demonstrations.