The Guwahati based journalist and a regular contributor to 'Assam Times', Nava Thakuria has been awarded with the first media fellowship on refugee issues sponsored by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Centre for North East Studies and Policy Research (C-NES). The Fellowship with the theme, 'The Chins of Myanmar: Refugee Life in a Distant Neighbour', with a focus on Protection and Durable Solutions for the Chin ethnic group from Western Myanmar, which lives in challenging conditions in the Northeast as well as in New Delhi starts from 1 March to 31 May.
The announcement was made by a Committee comprising Mr. Sanjoy Hazarika, C-NES Managing Trustee, journalist and editor, Ms. Pamela Philipose, Independent Journalist and Ms. Nayana Bose of the UNHCR on February 15 last. The awardee Mr Thakuria has written extensively on issues related to Burma (Myanmar). Thakuria is a regular contributor to many acclaimed newspaper and portals based in Guwahati, Kolkata, New Delhi, Dhaka, Hong Kong, Seoul, London and California and his special areas of interest include socio-political developments in Northeast India with Burma, Bhutan and Bangladesh
It may be mentioned that Mizoram, a Burma bordering Northeast Indian state gives shelter to nearly 40,000 Chin refugees. Those Burmese citizens fled their country to get rid of the atrocities of the present regime named State Peace and Development Council. Led by the Senior General Than Shwe, the SPDC is identified as one of the worst human rights violators in the globe.
The refugees started fleeing Burma after the 1988 uprising for restoration of democracy in the land of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Thousand of Burmese have already sacrificed their precious lives supporting the pro-democracy movement led by the Great Lady. Many of them left Burma to live an exile live in its neighbouring Thailand, India, Bangladesh and many other countries around the globe.
"The effort is to build capacity and better understanding among journalists interested in refugee issues, especially at the middle-level, but also to publish their findings and observations extensively in the Indian media," said Sanjoy Hazarika, Managing Trustee of C-NES. It is an opportunity for the journalist to look at issues relating to refugee movements into the country, the condition of refugees, the problems of mixed migration (refugee movements combined with economic/environmental international migrants).
Carol Batchelor, Chief of Mission, UNHCR India, while mentioning the fellowship to study the refugee issue said, "It is hoped that through this opportunity for an in-depth review of refugee issues, journalists will be strengthened in their efforts to inform public opinion." There are two other fellowships, applications for which are welcome, one on "The need for a refugee specific legislation in India" (to be announced in May 2008) and another on Sri Lankan refugees (to be announced in August 2008). The programme is aimed to research and write on the issue comprising the protection and durable solution of the refugee problem.
14 Jul 2015 - 8:16am | AT News
The Assam government has recommended the extension of the time-frame for submission of NRC applications.In its additional affidavit before the Supreme Court, Dispur has requested the authority to...
7 Mar 2017 - 8:02pm | AT News
Hundreds of students union activists from AASU,Goria Maria Desi Jatiya Parishad and common publics join hands in the protest torch rally carried out in Kokrajhar town in protest against the attack on...
30 Mar 2016 - 9:50pm | AT News
The Kamrup (Metro) district administration in association with Guwahati Press Club organized an awareness program on Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail with Electronic Voting Machine for the benefit of...
21 Mar 2020 - 6:45pm | AT News
March 20, New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged all those who have been told to stay in home quarantine to follow the instructions.
In a series of tweets, the PM said that this is the...
At least ten persons have been injured when a local train collided with a railway engine in Dibrugarh district on Wednesday. The incident took place at M E S Tiniali area near Chabua town of the district at around 7 in the evening. The Dibrugarh-Ledo passenger train was coming towards Dibrugarh when it collided head on with a pilot engine going to the opposite direction. All the injured have been shifted to local hospitals and rescue operations are still going on at the site.
Christmas festivity grips Assam from Monday with churches wearing a fresh look across the state. Christian people across the state thronged the churches from Monday midnight with carols and prayers.From early in the morning on Tuesday people are line up in front of the churches for prayers. People from all walks of life are gathered in the churches for the special Christmas Vigil services being held across the state to celebrate birth of Jesus Christ. In the heart of Guwahati, Nagaon, Jorhat, Tezpur, the young and the old and the rich and the poor all offered special prayers on the eve of Christmas.
Amid the hail of protest against rape in Delhi and molestation in Manipur, a 22-year-old girl in Sivasagar alleged inaction by the police in a case of molestation filed by her against six persons. The girl, who is pursuing a university law student, was allegedly molested by the six outside her home in daylight at Joysagar on August 8. According to her, the six had disrobed her and beat her with sticks when she resisted them.The girl later filed a complaint at Joysagar police station and one of the accused was arrested a few days later and sent to jail but the other five are still free. Meanwhile, chargesheet had been filed on the case and the five accused are on the run.
In yet another landmark judgment, a lower court in Nalbari has jailed a former Assam Assembly Speaker along with two others in a nefarious teacher recruitment scam that rocked the district in 1998. Former Assam speaker Pulakesh Baruah was sentenced to two terms of rigorous imprisonment of two years each by a local court on Monday in a case of illegal appointment of teachers in Nalbari district 16 years ago.The order was passed by Chief Judicial Magistrate of Nalbari, Dibyajyoti Mahanta who also fined Baruah Rs 20,000 in the case. However, it has not said by the court whether the two terms of imprisonment would run concurrently or separately.The two terms of imprisonment were awarded under...
The National Union of Journalists (India) and Journalists Association of Assam trongly condemned the police brutality on mediapersons covering the public protest against rape incident in national capital Delhi and also the death of a photographer in police firing who was covering a protest in Imphal on Sunday.In a joint statement, issued here today NUJ(I) secretary general Ras Bihari and Journalists Association of Assam (JAA) general secretary Bhupen Goswami termed the police action in Delhi as preplanned and demanded strict action against the policemen and officers responsible for the action. “A high level delegation of the NUJ(I) leaders will shortly meet the Union Home Minister Sushil...
Journalists’ Forum Assam (JFA) has expressed shock at the killing of a local scribe in Imphal on Sunday (December 23, 2012) in the police firing. The Assam based journalist organization has urged the O. Ibobi Singh led Manipur government to investigate the incident that led to killing of Th Dwijamani (Nanao) Singh and compensate his family.Mentionable is that Nanao Singh, 30, who used to work as a stringer camera person for Prasar Bharati, was killed on the second day of indefinite strikes called by the protesters asking actions against an NSCN-IM leader (Livingstone Anal), who allegedly molested a Meitei film artiste on December 18 last.“Nanao Singh was killed this afternoon when the...
Can a woman be raped, gang-raped, tortured and even murdered, and the men who did it get away scot-free? Why is the Indian army being allowed to get away with rapes and murders of women in India? Why is its morale sustained by repeated sexual violence against women and wanton killing of local population? Why are army and various security forces above the law? Why is there extensive denial of sexual assault in the power corridors? Why do women complainants and accused have to live in the fear of sexual assault by police or other security forces where they are present? Why do these forces entrusted with the security of the nation become threats to the security of innocent women and children?...
Holding placards scores of students rallied through Duliajan Township on Friday to spread the message related to protection of girl child and mother-child health etc. The rally was a part of health awareness campaign organized by Directorate of Field Publicity, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Dibrugarh with a view to make people aware about health schemes run by government.The campaign organized at Duliajan BM Junior college campus in co-ordination with Prasiddha (NGO) and Surjudaya (NGO) and the main awareness meeting was held in continuation with college’s second foundation day. Presided over by Principal Bulimoni Neog, the number of resource persons educated the students...
A traditional food festival is underway at organized at Silpagram, Guwahati. The event is being organised by North East Zone Cultural Center.
Photo: UB PHOTOS.
ASEAN—India Car Rally has reached Guwahati on Sunday receiving cheers from thousands of people since it entered the state. The 31 vehicles participating in the rally entered Assam to be received at the border near Nambor Reserve Forest by Golaghat Deputy Commissioner Sanjiv Gohain Boruah.
Then they headed for Numaligarh Refinery Limited where they were given a rousing welcome. The participants were also welcomed at the Kaziranga National Park by a cavalcade of elephants.
The ASEAN—India Car Rally 2012, jointly organised by the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), began on November 26 at Yogyakarta in Indonesia...
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