Bhubaneswar: The president of the Utkal Journalists Association (IFWJ), Dr. Jimut Mangaraj, died yesterday in a road accident near Bhubaneswar. He was 64 and is survived by a daughter and son. His wife had died earlier. A senior media person, he was running his own television news channel.
Dr. Mangaraj, who had a Ph.D. in mass communication, started his career with the Press Trust of India (PTI) 1981. He joined the English daily the Sun Times but returned to Oriya media, joining the Samvad daily. He was with the famous daily the Prajatantra, founded and edited by “Utakal Kesari” late Dr. Harekrushna Mahtab, a Gandhia freedom-fighter and Orissa chief minister. His son Dr. Bharthruhari Mahtab, BJD M.P., now edits it.
Dr. Mangaraj edited his own journal the Lifeline, devoted to health and medical matters. He was also the principal of the Biju Patnaik College of Journalism. He wrote 16 books, one is a biography of Biju Patnaik (“Mahamuho”), which was released by his son and Orissa chief minister Navin Patnaik.
During the Working Committee session of the Indian Federation Working Journalists (IFWJ) at the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Training (KIIT) on 20-22 June 2015, Dr. Jimut had secured from the Orissa government the Gopabandhu journalist health insurance scheme. Recently he could persuade the Orissa Government to declare an ex-gratia amount of Rs. 15 lakhs for journalists, who died fighting the Covid-19.
Chief minister Navin Patnaik, Governor Prof. Ganeshi Lal, Assembly Speaker S.N.Patra, Union petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan and several other public figures, including the state information minister and leader of the opposition, paid him rich tributes.The IFWJ deeply mourns Dr. Jimut’s death.
