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.
North Lakhimpur: AGP President Brinaban Goswami and Sarbananda Sonowal are in North Lakhimpur to discuss poll strategies for the coming Municipality Elections. Arun Sharma is also a part of the various meetings that have been organised in the last couple of days.Meanwhile various citizen groups have started expressing concern on the absolute no development in North Lakhimpur and Lakhimpur district overall. Lakhimpur is an important strategically and location ally for Assam. N Lakhimpur is the premier town in the Upper Assam North Bank. But there is no development taking place in these areas laments the citizens. The state of the roads are pathetic, civil administration is non existent and...
Namrup : The AASU, Advisor Mr. Samujjal Bhattacharya has said that the Tarun Gogoi led Government seems to be suffering from a laid back approach as it has come to power again. He is of the view that the Government should be more proactive while dealing with the various problems that seem to be engulfing the states. Bhattacharya expressed concern on the plight of the villagers in the Assam Nagaland Border and has asked the Government to immediately look into it.
Kuwait : As the two-month amnesty for illegal immigrants residing in Kuwait ends on June 30, the Indian embassy in the Gulf country has already issued nearly 7,000 emergency certificates to benefit from the scheme. So far the embassy has issued 7,000 emergency certificates to take advantage of the amnesty, Mr PM Thomas, first secretary at the Indian embassy in Kuwait said.
The government has issued formal orders appointing Mr R S Sharma as the chairman and managing director (CMD) of Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC), India’s biggest oil producer. Sharma was already acting as the interim CMD of ONGC since May 25 last year. Sharma would be heading the company till January 31, 2011, official sources said.
The dawn to dusk Sibasagar Bandh called on Friday by various organisations like AASU, AJYCP and Gorkha Association in protest against the Naga aggresion was a total success. No untoward incident has been reported from anywhere.
PC Ram is alive. Ram's son Pravin, his wife and daughter all spoke to him over telephone on Saturday morning for around 15 minutes and confirmed that it was indeed him on the phone. Ram has confirmed on the phone that he is being treated well and has been kept like a guest. Police authorities have claimed that they were all along sure that Ram was alive and had declared him death only because his son had identified the dead body recovered earlier.
Australia's leading bank, National Australia Bank (NAB), has decided to offshore its 41 back office finance jobs to India by the end of this year. Confirming that NAB is planning to offshore the jobs to Bangalore by the end of this year, Bank's corporate affairs manager Ms Kerrina Lawrence, said, "41 back office finance roles will be transitioned outside of the company by the year's end. The off shoring of jobs, which the Finance Sector Union of Australia (FSU) said will affect 90 employees of the bank's wealth management finance division in Sydney. But, Ms Lawrence said, it was not known how many employees would be affected by the change. Elaborating the bank's...
In a bid to overcome the shortage of skilled workers in various fields, Australia has decided to fast-track the process of approving immigration applications by setting up assessment centres in India and other countries. The government has appointed a consortium to assess skills of would-be migrants in India an other countries like Britain, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the Philippines. The consortium of TAFE colleges of Victorian and West Australian state will concentrate on workers in occupations where there are shortages of labour in Australia, including electricians, plumbers, motor mechanics, carpenters and bricklayers. The intention is to ease skills shortages by reducing the time it...
Dibrugarh: Around 20 reporters in Dibrugarh had taken out a Motorcycle to protest against Bandhs and strikes that are called so frequently and sometime for very flimsy reasons. They feel that this is not helping anyone and hindering the development of Assam
A group of Naga people suspected to be sympathisers and supporters of of NSCN (I-M) attacked villagers on the Assam side in Sonapur, Borholla and Dhekiajuli on Assam-Nagaland border under Geleky sector in Sivasagar District around 3.15 in the morning. Three people have been reported dead in these various incidents. In Sonapur, the Naga attackers shot dead Sarabat Ali and Min Bahadur Chetri and one Kamal Bahadur Chetri was also killed when the Nagas detonated a land mine at Sarasajiya Village. Villagers while speaking to AssamTimes on the spot have expressed anguish that this is not the first time that this has happened and that there have been various such instances in the past but the...
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