The employees of Natun Dainik, an influential Assamese daily newspaper of yesteryears, will remember its founder editor Chandra Prasad Saikia (popularly known as CPS) on August 8 in Guwahati Press Club starting at 3 pm. The journalists, who were involved with the daily during the tenure of Padma Bhusan CP Saikia as its editor, have taken the initiative to commemorate the illustrious journalist and award winning author on his 8th death anniversary.
Published from Chandarakanta Press private limited in Guwahati, Natun Dainik was pioneer in adopting latest printing technology and vivid content with illustrated supplement pages on various relevant issues. The newspaper used PTS printing method for the first time in northeast India and enjoyed extra ordinary influence on its millions of readers.
Assam, which has a history of over 160 years of journalism (first Assamese journal Arunodoi was published in 1846 by the American Missionaries), witnessed the publication of first Assamese daily newspaper (Dainik Batori, edited by Bagmibar Nilamani Phukan and published by Shiva Prasad Barooah) in 1935, where Natun Dainik heralded a new wave of journalism since its inception on 1st January 1988.
A freedom fighter, novelist, editor-journalist and commentator, CP Saikia (1927-2006) was honoured with the prestigious Sahitya Akademi award and also adorned the esteemed chair of Asom Sahitya Sabha. Stood firm against the terrorism in the turbulent days of Nineties with his strong editorials, CP Saikia was also enriched with a great sense of humour, and still casts influence on a generation of journalists in Assam.
“We would like to pay our heartiest tribute to our very own CPS. He was such an amazing editor, who taught us to pursue credible journalism with self-pride and independence,” said Biman Chandra Hazarika, the president of CP Saikia Memorial Committee adding, “We expect every one, who was associated with Natun Dainik during his editorship, to join the program and express sincere gratitude to a unique personality like CP Saikia.”
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