Tripura loses first scribe Jitendra Debbarma to COVID

GUWAHATI: West Tripura-based video journalist Jitendra Debbarma (46), succumbed to aggravated complications arising due to COVID-19 infection on October 20. Working for a Kakborok cable television channel, Debbarma developed COVID-19 like symptoms and was admitted to the hospital on Monday where he died the next day, stated a release. Debbarma tested positive for novel coronavirus infection as he was admitted to Khumulwng hospital, which is around 25 km away from the State capital city of Agartala, and his conditions continued to deteriorate.

Hailing from Balaramthakur Para in the Jirania locality, the soft-spoken scribe has left behind two minor daughters besides other relatives and well-wishers.

Debbarma is the first scribe in Tripura to succumb to COVID-19 complications and the third across Northeast India. Earlier, Assam lost two journalists — Dhaneswar Rabha (35) and Ashim Dutta (65) — to the virus infections. Rabha, who was treated at Guwahati Medical College & Hospital, became the first scribe in the region to die of COVID-19 on September 6. Next day, Barak valley's senior journalist Dutta passed away at Silchar Medical College & Hospital.

Till date, nearly 50 working journalists in India have lost their lives to COVID-19, whereas the worldwide media corona-casualties has risen to 400.

Meanwhile, the Journalists' Forum Assam (JFA) has in a press release expressed profound grief over the demise of Jitendra Debbarma. While terming the scribes as corona-warriors after the practising doctors, nurses, sanitation workers, police personnel among others, JFA president Rupam Barua and secretary Nava Thakuria, repeated its appeal to every media person to be careful and cautious against the pandemic while carrying on their duties.

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