Annual Report 2007 - Observer Research Foundation

garh. When the shocking news of Naxalites launching a major attack on the police camp in Chattisgarh
and killing more than 50 of them broke out, it was ORF the AFP contacted for its analysis piece
and readily Ramana provided the inputs and his name and ORF were flashed across the globe.
Ramana also had the distinction of being able to contribute a paper, “The Maoist Movement in
India”, to internationally well-known academic journal Defense and Security Analysis, London:
Routledge-Taylor & Francis.
Besides the traditional media of print, television and radio, websites too have carried ORF event
stories and articles hundreds of times.
Brain-storming sessions, round-table discussions and seminars on important current
and topical developments have been drawing good media attention. The
discussion on agricultural crisis in Punjab and increasing suicide cases was covered
by all the leading Hindi dailies, Punjabi dailies besides the English media.
The launch of the ORF Maritime Security Programme and the book “Sri
Lanka: Peace Without Process” in Chennai saw the then Chief of Naval Staff,
Admiral Arun Prakash, visiting Chennai for the first time in the capacity of
the Naval chief. This programme was well covered by all the Tamil and English
newspapers and major television networks, including Doordarshan and All India Radio. AIR also did
a 10-minute News Reel programme in Tamil on the event.
In Kolkata too, ORF organised a two-day seminar on “India and China in Next Decade”. This
event also was covered by the national and local media.
ORF organised talks by its faculty in Ahmedabad also. The local media found them interesting and
covered them widely.
The release of the book “Iran: Revolution and Creativity” by Dr. Kapila Vatsayan found prominent
place in the Iranian media alongwith photographs.
Addresses by Mr. Sitaram Yechury, Rajya Sabha MP and member, CPI-M Polit Buro, Mr. Shyam
Saran, former Foreign Secretary, Mr. Kapil Sibal, Union Minister for Science and Technology, Mr.
K.C. Pant, India’s first and only Minister for Energy, Mr. S.M. Krishna, the Governor of Maharashtra,
(in Mumbai for International Maritime Conference) and other high profile speakers were also
covered widely by the media.
The interaction with Pakistani Senators, including the former Prime Minister Shujaat Hussain,
was a big media attraction. Besides Indian newspapers, this event was well covered by the Pakistani
newspapers, The Dawn, The Daily Times and others.
With so many important and interesting events happening, and most of them thrown open to media,
the outreach of the programmes have grown manifold. And along with it, the interest and expectations
of the media from ORF has also grown significantly.
ORF IN MEDIA
Annual Report 2007 ◆ Observer Research Foundation
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