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 Frontier BSF steps up effective border management and supervision of functioning of field formations along the 495 km of the Indo-Bangladesh border in Assam and West Bengal. Addressing the troops during the First Raising Day of the Frontier at Patgaon in Guwahati on Monday Inspector General P K Wahal said that the new Frontier have been carrying out civic action programmes. He said that the troops on the border have been found dominating their respective area of responsibility round-the-clock through observation posts, patrolling on foot, patrolling both on vehicle and boat during day time. In addition to human efforts, troops have been making extensive use of force multipliers...
Stages have been set to airlift a rhinoceros to a national sanctuary after the rare animal reached Sualkuchi in the outskirt of Guwahati.The full grown rhinoceros is believed to have strayed from the Pobitora sanctuary which is being guarded around the clock against poachers with an IAF helicopter. The efforts to airlift the rhinoceros failed on Monday because of bad weather. Top ranked forest and district administration officials are camping in the Rani Chapori area to guard the animal from poachers. The rhino was spotted by local people at Rani Chapori of Sualkuchi near here in Kamrup Rural district and was suspected to have strayed from the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary near Guwahati.For...
Fresh incidents of violence gripped Dima Hasao distirct after the district administration relaxed curfew in Haflong on Monday.Supporters of the North Cachar Hills Indigenous Poples Forum turned violent where policemen were attacked in Haflong town. Bandh supporters pelted stones at security forces at Mahadev Tilla and Harangajao. Policemen on duty were forced to fire rubber bullets to disperse the mob.Some NCIPF activists came out into the streets in Haflong during the curfew relaxation period and set on fire a bike at Kalibari Road. This is apart from an incident where an autorickshaw was damaged at Gunjung area. Indefinite curfew was reimposed in the hills town following the incident.
Three persons were killed by lightning and two others seriously injured in Goalpara district on Monday.Two of them hail from a family when the five persons were inside a house at Nolanga Reserve when they were struck by ligtning killing a man and his son and a neighbour on the spot. Three persons were killed by lightning in Dhubri district and two girls in Golaghat district on Sunday.
Tension is simmering along Assam-Mizoram interstate border when a Barak Valley-based NGOs launched a fresh indefinite blockade on NH-54.The blockade on the road connecting Mizoram was launched at 6 in the morning demanding that non-tribal workers from Cachar district be allowed to enter Mizoram's IOC Veng locality of Vairengte without inner line permits.The All Barak Youth Students' Association demanded that the governments of both the states find a solution to Assam-Mizoram boundary disputes and implored the Assam government to destroy the 'boundary pillars' erected by Mizo NGOs.
A UGC sponsored national seminar on the Problems of Industrial Labourers in Assam was held in ADP College, Nagaon on September 28-29. The seminar was inaugurated on Sep 28 by Dr Narayan Ch Barman, President of Governing Body by lighting lamp. Dr Sarifuddin Ahmed, Principal of ADP College welcomed the guests and scholars. Dr Sanjib Kumar Borkakoti, Working President of the Seminar Organizing Committee dedicated the seminar to the hallowed memory of Anandaram Dhekial Phookan who was the pioneer of economic analysis in Assamese literature.Prof Nirankar Srivastav, Dean, School of Social Science, North Eastern Hills University presented the key note address. He highlighted the problems of...
The ravaging inferno at an ONGC-owned plants in Titabor on Friday mires in controversy. ONGC authorities blamed technical fault resulting in the fire that left reduced properties worth crores of rupees to ashes. But ULFA’s anti-talk claimed to have blown up the plant alleging that the attack would continue. In an e-mail statement, the outfit claimed to have blown up the plants. Notably, on several occasion earlier ULFA owned up responsibilities.
Security forces arrested six cadre of United Peoples Democratic Front in Arunachal Pradesh on Saturday. They were arrested from Changlang district bordering Tinsukia during an anti insurgency operation. Police interrogation is going on in Tinsukia.
An ULFA militant was killed and two policeman have been seriously injured at an encounter in Tinsukia district on Saturday. The encounter took place at Bordumgsa when ULFA militants faced security forces on patrolling duty resulting in a fierce firing in the evening. ULFA militants lobbed a grenade in which one policeman was injured and he was admitted to Assam Medical College Hospital at Dibrugarh. Then the militants managed to escape.
National Human Rights Commission has registered one more case in connection with the murder of PhD scholar from Assam Pritam Bhattacharjee at Naugachia railway station in Bihar.
The case was registered after Silchar district bar association appealed to NHRC to ensure that the culprits are brought to book. The NHRC has registered the suit, its assistant registrar (legal cell) informed the bar association secretary Champak Dutta. Bhattacharjee, who hails from Silchar had boarded the Assam-Avadh Express from Guwahati on July 8 and went missing from Naugachia station the next day.
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