ITANAGAR, 26 Oct: The Arunachal Pradesh Union of Working Journalists (APUWJ) and the Arunachal Press Club (APC) observed the fifth death anniversary of senior journalist Taro Chatung at the press club here on Saturday.
Chatung was born on 1 March, 1963. He passed away on 26 October, 2019, due to cancer at the TRIHMS, Naharlagun. He is known as the founding father of electronic media and was a state gold medal awardee.
Remembering him on the day, APUWJ President Amar Sangno recalled late Taro Chatung’s contribution towards journalism in the state and advised the young journalists to follow the footsteps of the late senior journalists.
The union has also introduced the Taro Chatung Excellence Award for journalists, which is declared after a competition among electronic journalists and presented every year during the National Press Day celebration.
“I appeal to the journalists to be as dedicated and passionate about the profession as Chatung was till his last breath,” he said.
APUWJ Vice President Ranju Dodum said that “as a journalist we should uphold the legacy of late Chatung by pursuing problems, not people, and pursuing issues and not agendas.”
“Sadly, today’s media is not the same as what late Chatung advocated during his days. Avoiding such snags, we can uphold the true meaning and preaching of journalism,” he added.
He further stated that the APUWJ is for all journalists and not confined to print or electronic media. “If a journalist does his/her work properly, the public is informed and when the public is informed, they become powerful. Our responsibility is to keep the public informed with accurate information,” he added.
“Late Chatung had a unique way of questioning which made him different. However, he always raised issues and problems with the public. We should be ready to ask tough questions to the authorities concerned, which was one of the inspiring journalistic approaches of Taro Chatung,” he stated.
The Ziro Press Club, an affiliate of the APC, also observed the late senior journalist’s anniversary along with the students of Saint Claret College at Kelya village, where his mortal remains were laid to rest.
The Arunachal Electronic and Media Association (AEDMA), in collaboration with the Blood Center RKM Hospital, organized a voluntary blood donation drive on Saturday to commemorate the 5th death anniversary of the AEDMA’s founding president and senior journalist late Taro Chatung.
The event saw the participation of a large number of volunteers, including ITBP jawans, NSS volunteers from Dera Natung Government College, members of the Arunachal Bullet Club, representatives from the media fraternity, including the APC, the APUWJ and the Arunachal Pradesh Media Welfare Society. and other like- minded people.
Over 30 units of blood were collected during the drive, which was attended also by Itanagar Capital Region Deputy Commissioner Talo Potom, late Chatung’s daughter Sia Chatung, and the swamiji from RK Mission Hospital.
Potom praised the AEDMA for organizing the drive to honour late Chatung, and urged young journalists to follow in Chatung’s footsteps, citing his dedication to public service and journalism as an inspiration to the state.
Reflecting on late Chatung’s career, Potom recalled his decision to leave public service as a circle officer to pursue journalism, leading to his impactful show ‘News and Views’ on Doordarshan. “His determination to serve society through journalism left a lasting mark on the state,” Potom stated.
AEDMA President JT Tagam also paid tribute to late Chatung, recalling his influential role in establishing journalism in the state.
Earlier, floral tributes were paid to late Chatung’s portrait and a minute’s silence was observed as a mark of respect to the late journalist.
