Goof-Up In Sishulekha: Odisha Writer Manoj Das’ Photo Distorted!

Bhubaneswar: Dedicated to renowned author and philosopher Manoj Das, the current issue of popular children’s Odia magazine ‘Sishulekha’, produced by the state government, has drawn flak from several quarters.

Regular readers of the children’s magazine have alleged that a photograph of Manoj  Das accompanying an article by Prabeena Mohanty has been distorted by the photo editors causing disrespect to the great writer. Fans of Manoj Das have taken exception to the way Das was depicted in the magazine. A few of them have raised objections expressing their resentment on social media platforms. A few other readers have demanded that the magazine be republished rectifying the image of the author while publishing a rejoinder and apology for the ‘grave error’.

Saswatee Pattnaik, a reader, has tagged Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in a tweet demanding scrapping of the issue and appropriate disciplinary action against those responsible for the goof-up.

Sushama Tripathy, another fan of Manoj Das, has regretted that Manoj Das has been presented in poor light, especially in a children’s magazine. It is an insult to the whole nation, she added.

Editor of the magazine Dash Benhur said that he only felicitated publication of the issue by editing the articles. “The artist will be in a better position to answer these allegations. I have not seen the original picture. I am told that it is the artist’s impression of the writer. It is for the government to decide whether there is a need to rectify or republish the issue,” he said.

The magazine is being published by the Odia Language Literature & Culture Department.

Tourism & Culture Minister Jyoti Prakash Panigrahi was not available for comments.