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.
Guwahati: Thirteen suspected ISI agents were arrested by Army in Assam’s North Cachar district on Friday. Four of whom were Hindus while others are Muslim.According to information, acting on specific inputs, the Army arrested the agents from different parts of the Haflong. Most of these arrested people hail from Rajasthan.They have been identified as Lakshmi Narayan Sarma (Rajasthan), Md Islam (Rajasthan), Md Isan Sheikh, (Rajasthan), Md Rekibuddin (Rajasthan), Mahabir Sarma (Rajasthan), Bajrang Sheikh (Rajasthan), Abdul Khaleq (Karimganj, Asom), Zakir Hussain (Karimganj), Abdul Salam (Karimganj), Naresh Sarma (Karimganj), Meijul Lashkar (Karimganj), Abdul Talukdar (Karimganj) and...
HCL Infosystems Ltd plans to open up around hundred new HCL Career Development Centres (HCL CDC) designed to fine tune skills of technology workers, including employees of corporate houses. This effort is part of the company's drive to part-bridge the demand supply mismatch of trained workforce, which is widening by the day. The accent of these centres would be to train engineers in diverse skills helping them handle the entire spectrum of business. The other primary objective of these Centres would be for retraining of work force in the Corporate Sectors which is being looked at by most major companies to meet new technology challenges.
Our Guwahati Correspondent : Over 1.5 lakh people in seven districts of Assam have been affected in the first wave of floods with the Brahmaputra, Barak and their tributaries flowing above danger levels.People in flood-hit Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Sibsagar, Dibrugarh, Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi districts have taken shelter on national highways, officials said, adding the BSF has been engaged in rescue operations.Nearly 84 villages in Karimganj with a population of 42,386 have been inundated with water over-crossing a dyke.In Cachar district, flood waters entered some parts of Silchar town as a dyke breached in Roypur. Three relief camps have been set up in the affected area, the officials...
Our special correspondent Guwahati : A full scale fratricidal clash may rock Assam if the words of surrendered ULFA leaders are any indication.In a statement released here on Wednesday evening, some SULFA leaders have warned the ULFA to abstain from killing their colleagues like Rinku Chaudhory to avoid consequences.Signed by Sunil Nath, Jugal Kishor Mahanta, Saurabh Gogoi, Rosevelt Rabha, Mridul Phukan, Sailen Dutta Konwar, Amal Das and Pratap Das, the statement further urged the government to ensure security to the surrendered ULFA cadres. The ULFA has claimed responsibility for killing their former colleague Rinku Chaudhory. Hira Sarania (ULFA spokesman) has confirmed that he has been...
The “Bir Chilari Award” for the year 2006 was awarded this year to the former Chief Minister of Assam, Late Sarat Ch Sinha on 16th of June, 07 at Rabindra Bhawan, Guwahati . The award was accepted with thanks by his wife. Sarat Ch Sinha was on outstanding figure in political circles nationally as well. He was formerly a congressman who later formed the Congress (S) with Sharad Pawar.
Guwahati: The recent killing of Rinku Chaudhory forces the city police to step up a close watch on the Guwahati based surrendered ULFA leaders even as the banned outfit is reportedly changes its cadres. According to information, the police administration will maintain strict vigil on the city areas where the SULFA leaders reside. They will also monitor the movements of the people in and around the SULFA members in the city. Moreover, the police gets ready to make a survey on the rented houses to identify if there is any ULFA people reside with false identity. According to apprehension, more ULFA activists are there in the city’s rented houses to step up attack in the form of...
Our special correspondent from Guwahati : It was a tragic day for the Barman family. Jatin Barman,a resident of Guwahati has stabbed his wife, Bina Barman to death in the middle of the city at Ganeshguri before hanging himself at their residence. Unconfirmed reports state that a property dispute is the reason for the murder. Onlookers were shocked on seeing the body which has been almost slit into two. The couple is survived by their three college going children.
We talk about global warming. But nobody who is in Guwahati can believe this now. Guwahati is flooded and in all the main areas like the GNB road, Zoo Road, Maligaon, Santipur etc. The most important aspect of the floods in Guwahati is that it rained only for some time and the entire city was brought to its knees. And this is just the beginning of the monsoons. Traffic crawled throughout the day and school children and office goers had a tough time. Residents are crying hoarse complaining about the apathy of the Government in dealing with the scenario. Montu Talukday a resident of Silpukhuri commented “This is a regular occurrence every year and I have to fold my trousers and...
New Delhi: We all remember it. The moms and the aita’s used to talk about it in the kitchen. “Bhut jolokia or 'ghost chillies' of Tezpur figure has found a mention in the Time Magazine's latest issue as the world's hottest chilli. The magazine's cover story that takes a look at the culinary specialities and peculiarities around the world has zeroed in on the burnt orange pods, developed in a military laboratory in Tezpur, as packing the deadliest punch. The article on 'Global Warming' notes that the bhut jolokia, also called the Naga chilli, carries the sort of heat that one normally would find only in the hottest chilli sauces made from pure pepper...
At a time when the world is reeling under the consequences of global warming how can Assam be spared? Global Warming is contributing to the decrease of level of rainfall in Northeast in a big way commented a few leading scientists while speaking to our correspondents. The scientists on conditions of annonymity said that they have been ringing the alarm bells but till date it has fallen in deaf ears and the Goverments of Northeast are yet to take any concrete measures to prevent this. The Northeast is known for its torrential rains where earlier Cherrapunjee, in Meghalaya had the primacy of place as recording the worlds highest rainfall and now this stature has shifted to Mawsynram again in...
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