Five journalists to be honoured with first-ever Kalyan Barooah awards

NEW DELHI: Five journalists have been selected for the first-ever ‘Kalyan Barooah Award’, instituted in memory of the Delhi-based senior journalist who died during the Covid pandemic, in a ceremony on December 11.

The NGO My Home India, in collaboration with the North East Media Forum, will present the awards in a ceremony here on December 11.

The Kalyan Barooah Award was instituted to immortalise the veteran journalist’s contribution towards bringing issues of Northeast India into focus in the national media, a release by the North East Media Forum (NEMF) said.

Ranju Dodum from Arunachal Pradesh, a freelance journalist, has been selected for the award in the Print Media category. Partha Jyoti Borah from Assam -- the associate editor of News18 Assam -- has been chosen for the Electronic Media category while Gitika Talukdar (Assam) has been selected for Photography.

Binod Tamang of Sikkim, a contributor for the NE Live TV channel, has been selected for Freelance Videography. Veteran journalist Deepak Dewan will be awarded the award for lifetime achievement. Barooah, a long-time Delhi correspondent for the Guwahati-based The Assam Tribune, died during second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 along with his wife -- The Times of India journalist Nilakshi Bhattacharyya.

In May 2022, during a memorial meeting organised by the NEMF in association with the Press Club of India, My Home India founder Sunil Deodhar announced that the social organisation would initiate journalism awards in memory of Barooah. The jury for the award included veteran journalists Ashish Gupta (Asomiya Pratidin), CK Nayak (Reuters & The Shillong Times) and Utpal Borpujari (journalist-turned-filmmaker).

Announcing the awards, NEMF President Sanjib Kr Baruah and General Secretary Pranjal Pratim Das said, “It gives the North East Media Forum immense satisfaction that one of our leading members, who is no longer with us, the late Kalyan Barooah is being honoured by instituting media awards in his name. We are thankful to My Home India for that. We hope this cooperation among us for such good causes continue uninterrupted in the times to come.” My Home India President Baldev Raj Sachdeva said, “My Home India is happy to announce the Kalyan Barooah awards. Kalyan Barooah was a true pioneer of journalism. He always fought for right and rights. This would surely inspire young journalists. Like My Home India, Kalyan Barooah always stood for the Northeast and we are happy to pay tribute to him.”