PPE clad journalists at colleague Ashim Dutta's funeral in Silchar Samshan

A medical representative turned journalist, Ashim Dutta breathed his last in Silchar Medical College and Hospital yesterday. After testing positive for COVID19, he was rushed to the isolation wards at SMCH. Dutta had to undergo dialysis regularly as he had chronic kidney issues. He was admitted to the hospital on Saturday. The state-level audit board declared that the primary reason of Dutta’s death wasn’t COVID, so, it won’t be counted as a COVID death.

At the stroke of midnight, his mortal remains packed in three different layers of plastic reached the crematorium. A few journalists gathered there to pay respect for one last time. Maintaining COVID protocols, from some distance they prayed for the departed soul to rest in peace.

Later, his brother-in-law, founder and editor-in-chief of the online news publication, NENow cremated Dutta wearing a PPE. He was joined by journalist Abhiit Bhattacharjee and Biswakalyan Purkayastha who were also in PPE Kits.

A pass-out from Gauhati University, Dutta left behind his wife, a daughter and other relatives with well-wishers. Journalists’ Forum Assam (JFA) expressed profound grief over the demise of senior journalist Ashim Dutta.

As the casualties among the media fraternity because of  Covid-19 complications start growing, JFA president Rupam Barua and secretary Nava Thakuria urged every scribe to be cautious while reporting from the ground. They expressed anguish that even though hundreds of scribes across the state got infected, the worrisome development is not reported properly by the concerned media outlets except few infected scribes made personal revelations in the social media.