22/06/2022
“I scored well in my 10th exams and as every typical Indian student, I opted for science! But once I was into it, I realized science wasn’t my cup of tea. But I discovered that I have a keen interest in the subjects of humanities. I started looking for options out of which Journalism interested me the most. My family didn’t really come up as supportive but I managed to convince them, the condition being that I study in Rourkela. RIMS is the only college in Rourkela where I could study Journalism. I had 3 years to prove my family that I can achieve something in this field or else I would have been forced to leave Journalism.
During the 1st lockdown, I found a number in my contact list – and to a great surprise I still don’t know how I had that contact in my phone – named as Times of Odisha. I texted on that number saying – In my city people are not following the rules of lockdown and asked them if they could create some awareness regarding the same. Soon after that I got a reply from them asking about me. As I told them about me, the head of the Organization asked me to meet him the next day. After meeting, I was asked to join them. I wanted to learn so without further ado I joined them. I used to write for their website as a content writer and at times I used to work as their moderator.
Once, I was asked go to the RTO where an agitation movement was going on, and cover the news. I thought I had to click pictures and write about it. Later I got to know, I was to cover the whole scene as a news reporter. That being my 1st time, it was live reporting. That post gained a lot of appreciation. After that I was made the bureau head of Rourkela for Times of Odisha.
I worked for them for a year or so, but I wanted more. I planned to join a channel to work with but I noticed that every channel in Odisha is Odia based, as per language & my language is Hindi. I started searching ways to open a new channel which I would run. I started seeking help from everywhere possible, for the same. I got some franchisee and got the RNI done for my news channel. A lot of people became my backbone during my struggy stage. And like that, TITN (The Indian Times News) was born.
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Till date, all of the support-love-fame that I have received is all because of my honesty towards every subject that pick for coverage. There were few incidences where I was threatened and as of now, I have 3 FIRs reported against me but I wouldn’t back out from bringing the truth in front of the mass. Even though I was scared when I started TITN but I never gave up on the idea of it. I go to every place and do ground reporting because that is how I am bringing the facts infront of all. And that is exactly how I have brought TITN to the place where it is today. I feel blessed to have a very supportive team who help and guide me at every point of the journey. There are many more milestones to achieve and I will keep working every day, every moment to make TITN the best among all.”
TITN Rourkela
