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.
13 Jun 2012 - 3:22am | editor
A child died and eight others have been seriously injured when lightning struck two villages in Kamrup (Rural) district on Tuesday. The incident took in the evening when thunderstorms and lightning...
27 Sep 2015 - 8:56pm | Hantigiri Narzary
The All Bodo Students Union ( ABSU) and Arunachal Youth Organisation ( AYO) will work jointly for peaceful co-existence in the north eastern region. Both the organization held interactive...
10 Jul 2019 - 12:31pm | Dibya J Borthakur
Japanese Encephalitis claimed as many as 64 lives in different parts of the state till Tuesday. The number of affected people reached 265 on Tuesday.
State Health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma...
Celebrating freedom is a basic human right. But the people of Assam or the northeast for that matter have been deprived of this joyous occasion for so long that it has lost its charm completely. The shadow of guns have always prohibited the people to let their hair down freely on these special days be it a Republic Day or an Independence Day.When the entire nation erupts in joy celebrating these days of national significance Assam watches waiting on the sidelines awaiting a day when it too can partake in the festivities.The people are unable to exercise their basic rights freely due to the decree of rebel organizations. As expected a series of serial bombings across the state marred the...
Assam Association, Delhi has celebrated the 61st Independence day at their Cultural Centre Srimanta Sankaradeva Bhawan located at Qutub Institutional Area. This was the second consecutive year that the association has been celebrating the occasion.The National Flag was unfurled jointly by the President and General Secretary. Speaking on the occasion, the President Mr. A Barua said that this is a very historic occasion as India celebrates its Diamond jubilee year of independence. It was in the same year a few people from Assam formed the 'Assam Sangha"- which later was renamed as "Assam Association, Delhi". India has made tremendous progress against many odds. It is growing...
Guwahati: To mark the 61st anniversary of Indian Independence Day, a function was organized on the campus of the Guwahati Press Club on Wednesday. On the occasion, the National flag was hoisted by noted litterateur Nirupama Borgohain and veteran journalist Dhirendranath Chakrabarty led the rituals of paying tributes to the martyrs of the freedom struggle. The function was organized in response to the call given by 16 journalists, who asked the people of the State to celebrate the Independence Day defying the diktats of the militants.Hoisting the flag, Ms Borgohain underlined the significance of Independence Day celebrations in today's context and she called upon the young generations...
New Delhi : The President has approved Kirti Chakra award to Shri Tarun Kumar Dutta (Guwahati) posthumously. Shri Tarun Kumar Dutta, Senior Intelligence Officer of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Guwahati. He was a brave officer who was actively involved in the checking of smuggling of drugs in Shillong region. He was made a target by the drug mafia and killed on 12 September, 2006 at Guwahati. The other Kirti Chakra winners are Capt Abhinav Handa of 9 Maratha Light Infantry and Lt. Pankaj Kumar of 7/11 Gorkha Rifles. Dutta, originaly an Inspector of Central Excise was on deputation to Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, which works under the jurisdiction of Central Board of Excise...
Guwahati : A 12 hour long statewide Assam bandh disrupted normal life in the state from early in the morning. The Bandh was called by a forum of 12 political parties to protest against the killings of Hindi-speaking people by the ULFA and KLNLF militants in Karbi Anglong district. The Bandh is total and barring a few stray incidents, the situation is reported to be normal. Schools, colleges, banks and other commercial establishments remain closed and the government, semi government and private offices registered thin attendance. Very few vehicles are plying on the streets and all long distance buses are lying idle. A few state transport buses are on the streets and that too with police...
New Delhi : Though it is hard to believe, an India Air Force team recovered the dead body of an Assamese airman, who had gone missing thirty years back from Chandrabhaga peak of Himachal Pradesh on 2nd of August. The airman has been identified as Mahendra Nath Phukan of Sivsagar district in upper Assam. Altogether three dead bodies have been recovered from the site. All the three had gone missing since February 7, 1968 after the IAF plane that they were travelling in crashed near the 20,500-foot high Chandrabhaga peak in Himachal Pradesh. The dead bodies had been located in a remote Himalayan valley and flown to Chandigarh air base, a Defence Ministry spokesperson said on last Friday....
Guwahati : Security forces have decided to launch joint operations against ULFA and KLNLF militants according to well-placed government sources This is obvious, as militants had killed 34 Hindi speaking people in the last five days in Karbi Anglong. Earlier a meeting of the Strategic Group of Unified Command Structure held at Guwahati today discussed about the situation and decided to send 15 more company Para-military forces to Karbi Anglong immediately. Assam chief Minister Tarun Gogoi presided over this meeting, where Special Secretary (Internal Security) of the ministry of Home Affairs, M L Kumwat, and Director NE of the ministry A K Goel, DG, BSF, A K Mitra and his CRPF counterpart...
Guwahati : Three Bihari organizations, Akhil Assam Bhojpuri Yuba Chatra Parishad, Akhil Assam Bihari Yuba Manch and Purbottar Hindustani sammelan have called a 12-hour ‘Assam Bandh` on 14th August to protest the killings of Hindi-speaking people in the Karbi Anglong by ULFA and KLNLF in last week. Twelve other political parties also joined their hands and have called a 12-hour bandh separately on the same day. The parties are Asom Gana Parishad Pragatisheel (AGP-P), Assam United Democratic Front (AUDF), CPI and CPI (M). The Kamrup Chamber of Commerce (KCC) has also declared support to the bandh
NEW DELHI: The UAE Govt has launched a scheme for granting amnesty to foreigners who are illegally staying in the country. The scheme was launched to give a chance to all foreigners illegally staying in the country to regularize their status. Till date according to the Ministry of External Affairs more that 28,000 Indians have returned to The Indian consulate general in Dubai informed in a statement that it had already distributed around 19,100 of the 40,000 Indian passports received from immigration authorities. It may be mentioned that most of these people are contract labourers who come for a particular period of time. The consulate also said it had delivered 31,500 emergency...
Comments
Pages
Add new comment