Journalists’ Forum Assam (JFA) strongly condemns the murder of a senior journalist based in Junagadh of Gujarat and asked the authority to nab the perpetrators and deliver justice to the victim family.
The forum expressed shocks that the miscreants had entered to the bureau office of Gujarati newspaper 'Jai Hind', where Kishore Dave was working on Monday night and stabbed him to death. Dave, 53, was reportedly alone at the bureau office of the Rajkot based newspaper at that moment and he died on the spot. There was no security camera in the one-room office, where an office assistantfound Dave’s body lying on the floor.
“We have lost now four journalists this year (nine since Jan 2015). How may scribes have to die to compel the Union government to formulate a national action plan for safeguarding the media persons across the country,” said a statement issued by JFA president Rupam Barua and secretary Nava Thakuria.
The first incident of journalist murder this year took place in Uttar Pradesh, Tarun Mishra of Hindi daily ‘Jan Sandesh Times’ was shot dead on 13 February. The second casualty was reported from Jharkhand, where a local TV news reporter named Indradev Yadav of Taaza News was shot dead on 12 May. The third news of journalist murder broke from Bihar, where unidentified gunmen shot Rajdeo Ranjan of ‘Hindustan’ to death on 13 May.
India lost five journalists namely Jagendra Singh from Uttar Pradesh, Sandeep Kothari (Madhya Pradesh), Raghavendra Dube (Maharashtra), Hemant Yadav (Uttar Pradesh) and Mithilesh Pandey (Bihar) to assailants last year. Shockingly, no one has been convicted in all these cases.
Assam has emerged as the state with the lowest life expectancy in India, averaging just 66 years, according to recent data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5). This figure not only falls below the national average of approximately 69 years but also trails behind other Northeastern states, with neighboring Nagaland boasting a life expectancy exceeding 75 years.
Health experts attribute Assam's lagging life expectancy to a combination of factors, including air pollution, poor dietary habits, high blood pressure, smoking, and environmental hazards. Dr. Rahul Mehra, UNESCO Chair Representative for Global Health and Education, emphasized the urgency of integrating health education...
Nazira paid tribute to the late Aboni Borthakur, a distinguished educationist and former Principal of Nazira College, with a memorial meeting held on Sunday. The event, organized at the Nazira M.C. Club, was presided over by Atul Gogoi, a former Principal of another college.
The gathering saw the presence of several notable figures, including retired professor Dr. Provat Borah, renowned writer Juri Borah Borgohain, Nazira MLA Debabrata Saikia, and CPI leader Kanak Gogoi, among others. The speakers reflected on Borthakur’s contributions to education and society, celebrating his legacy as a thinker and academician.
A highlight of the meeting was the unveiling of a memorial book that...
The demolition of Mahafezkhana, Assam’s oldest surviving concrete structure and a vital piece of Northeast India’s architectural heritage, has triggered widespread outrage. Built between 1855 and 1865, the 160-year-old building—once a custodian of crucial land records during British colonial rule—was razed by the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) as part of a park extension and Brahmaputra riverfront beautification project, according to reports published on Sunday.
Senior journalist Mrinal Talukdar expressed his dismay on X, describing the demolition as “not just demolition—this is desecration.” In a series of posts, including one at 2:30 AM IST on March 30 (Post ID:...
The Dhansiri River, a vital tributary of the Brahmaputra, is facing severe pollution due to industrial discharge from the Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL), as reported by Janani Live, a local news portal from Golaghat. The contamination has raised alarms among environmentalists and local communities dependent on the river for irrigation and drinking water.
Growing Pollution Crisis:According to Janani Live, untreated effluents from the refinery have been flowing into the Dhansiri, increasing chemical toxicity and degrading water quality. The river, which originates in Nagaland and flows through Golaghat and Dimapur, is already burdened by urban sewage, agricultural runoff, and sand...
Congress MP and Lok Sabha Deputy Opposition Leader Gaurav Gogoi has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding an investigation into alleged financial irregularities worth approximately ₹70 crore at the Assam Cooperative Apex Bank. According to Gogoi, the scandal involves an outsider businessman, Rajesh Bajaj, who is accused of misappropriating around ₹20 crore, along with an additional ₹50 crore irregularities under the guise of a tender for a data storage system. Gogoi has urged the Prime Minister to order an independent probe into the matter.
In a post on his official X handle, Gogoi stated, “I have written a letter to Hon’ble PM Shri Narendra Modi ji regarding the...
Assam Minister Ranjit Das has sparked outrage after allegedly using a caste-based slur during an election campaign, prompting protests and a police complaint.
The controversy erupted while Das, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, was campaigning for a ruling coalition candidate in the 30-Bamunigaon constituency of the Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council on March 18. During a public speech, he referenced India’s four main social groups—"the poor, women, farmers, and youth"—but also used a derogatory word for Scheduled Castes in Assam.
The All Assam Scheduled Caste Youth Students’ Union filed a complaint against Das at Dispur Police Station under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes...
A massive protest erupted today in Sonapur, near Guwahati, as thousands of tribal people gathered to oppose the proposed transfer of vast tracts of land to the Indian Air Force. The demonstration, held at the Sonapur Mini Stadium on Friday, March 28, saw local tribal communities voicing their outrage against what they perceive as an encroachment on their ancestral lands, with slogans such as "We will give our blood, not our land" and "Down with Digaru Air Force" resonating through the air.
The unrest stems from the state government's alleged plan to hand over a significant portion of land in Digaru, close to Sonapur, to the Air Force. This move has sparked widespread anger among the...
The Chief Judicial Magistrate’s Court of Kamrup Metropolitan District has granted bail to senior journalist Dilowar Hussain Majumdar in his second case. Following interrogation and searches starting on March 27, Majumdar was produced in court on Friday and released on a bond of 20,000 rupees. The decision came after his advocate, Angshuman Bora, presented arguments in his favor.
Police conducted searches at Majumdar’s residence and business establishments, seizing two dumpers during the operation. In a related case involving the managing director of Apex Bank, the police advocate requested the addition of extra charges, but the court rejected the plea. Due to a delay in submitting...
The Press Club of India (PCI) on Friday sharply criticized Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for attempting to define who qualifies as a “legitimate” journalist, following the re-arrest of senior digital media journalist Dilawar Hussain Mozumder by Assam Police on March 27 evening. Mozumder, assistant general secretary of the Guwahati Press Club (GPC), was detained hours after his bail release in a case involving alleged theft of bank documents while covering a protest tied to a recruitment scam. The PCI demanded Mozumder’s immediate release, accusing the state of undermining press freedom.
The PCI’s statement highlighted Sarma’s remarks as a distraction from the core issue—...
The Shillong Press Club (SPC) has strongly condemned the arrest of senior Assam journalist Dilawar Hussain Mazumdar, issuing a statement denouncing the action. Mazumdar, the chief reporter of Crosscurrent Digital Media, was first arrested on the night of March 25. Although he was granted bail on March 26, he was rearrested on March 27 based on a complaint filed by the managing director of the Assam Cooperative Apex Bank.
SPC President D L Syiemlieh stated that the rearrest of Mazumdar shortly after being granted bail is deeply concerning and represents a shocking misuse of legal processes. He emphasized that this action constitutes a direct assault on the freedom of the press and...
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