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.
The devastating impact of the pandemic on media, deplorable situation in India
by Thakuria Navajyoti
Geneva/Guwahati, 30 April 2021: The Covid-19 pandemic had a devastating impact on the media, the Switzerland-based media rights and safety body Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) lamented last Friday in preparation for World Press Freedom Day on 3 May. The human cost of the pandemic is particularly high where over one thousand journalists have lost their lives due to novel coronavirus aggravated ailments. India recently lost over 50 journalists in 2 weeks (3.5 per day).
Journalists are engaged in a profession that is particularly exposed to the virus, as many have been forced to continue working in contact with the population. Until 29 April 2021, since March 2020, within 14 months, the PEC (www.pressemblem.ch/) has counted more than 1,200 journalists who died from complications related to Covid-19 in 75 countries.
Senior scribe Kalyan Barooah passes away after battling with COVID infection
Senior journalist and New Delhi Bureau Chief of the Assam Tribune Kalyan Barooah passed away on Saturday after battling with a COVID-19 infection.
STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: Senior journalist and New Delhi Bureau Chief of the Assam Tribune Kalyan Barooah passed away on Saturday after battling with a COVID-19 infection. He breathed his last at a private hospital in New Delhi. Barooah s wife Nilakshi Bhattacharyya also succumbed to a COVID-19 infection on Friday.
Both Barooah and Bhattacharyya worked with The Sentinel in the early part of their journalism career. Assam Governor Prof. Jagdish Mukhi and Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal have deeply condoled the death and said the State has lost brilliant journalists. The North East Students Organization, All Assam Students Union and All Guwahati Students Union have also mourned the deaths.