Lokmat takes a innovative stand to demand Govt action in Bhandara Hospital fire incident
On January 9, 2021 India woke up to spine-chilling and devastating news of a fire that broke out in the wee hours of the morning in the neonatal care unit of District General Hospital in Bhandara, which claimed the lives of 10 innocent babies. There was an outpour of sympathy from politicians, celebrities and citizens on social media almost immediately after the news broke. Maharashtra’s Chief Minister instantly ordered a probe into the issue.
While news reporters were grappling to get the latest news on the Bhandara fire incident and politicians were flocking the site, Lokmat decided that enough is enough. Following the painful deaths of 10 newborn babies, citizens demand action and not sympathy. A strong journalistic stand has been taken by Lokmat to voice the thoughts of citizens.
“Lokmat has always taken a stand to favour the citizens and this time was no different. The Bhandara Hospital fire incident has left the nation stunned and claimed the lives of 10 innocent babies. As a newspaper, we had to do something to apply pressure on the government to take strict and concrete action. We have, therefore, decided not to publish photos of any politicians visiting the Bhandara Hospital fire site. We demand action and not sympathy,” said Joint MD & Editorial Director, Rishi Darda. He also tweeted about this from his Twitter handle, @rishidarda.
https://twitter.com/rishidarda/status/1348476878596698112
We believe that this stance will become a trend setter in the years to come. The New Normal requires disruption in order for positive change to be seen. The citizens are no longer willing to take empty sympathies and dry assurances. People need action and thus, Lokmat has responded to this need of the citizens and taken a revolutionary stand.
“Lokmat is the largest circulating Marathi newspaper in India and Maharashtra’s No. 1 newspaper for many years. We pride ourselves in being the voice of the public. Research-based news based on facts drives us and for us it has always been Journalism First. By not publishing the photographs of visits of politicians at Bhandara Hospital fire, we have reiterated our philosophy of #,” Darda stated emphatically.
Time will tell whether this new-age, bold step will apply pressure on the government to take action. Since the incident, Lokmat has been publishing a series of eye-opening, fact-based articles surrounding the Bhandara Hospital fire in all three languages, viz. Marathi, Hindi and English. The entire editorial initiative is towards demanding accountability from the government and all decision makers. The Lokmat newspaper is also committed to spreading awareness on safety measures so that such incidents are avoided in future.
