Investigative Journalism award for Anita Niroula, Sikkim Express editor felicitated for responsible reporting on suicides and addiction

GANGTOK, 06 Jan: The first late Shova Rai [Bardewa] Investigative Journalism Award was conferred today on Anita Niroula [News Editor, All India Radio, Gangtok] for her recently published book, “Black and White: Sikkim Ma Sangitkar Haru”. The award has been instituted by the Gangtok-based Himalchuli Group of Tourism Industries [HGTI].
The awards function was presided over by CD Rai [Advisor, Press Club of Sikkim] as chief guest and was attended by local dignitaries and members of the press and media fraternity. Amit Patro [Editor, Sikkim Express] was also felicitated for addressing the issue of suicides and highlighting drug-related stories in his daily published from Gangtok.
Addressing the function, the chief guest congratulated both the awardees on the recognition conferred on them and also thanked Santosh Bardewa, Chairman, Himalchuli Group of Tourism Industries [HGTI], for instituting the award.
This award, he added, would further motivate youth to take up investigative journalism in Sikkim.
Earlier, in her address, Ms. Niroula underlined that if one was right and walked on the path of righteousness, then even God will shower blessings on the person and this award was the fruit of her walking that path and she was happy to be the first person to receive the award for investigative journalism in Sikkim.
This award, she said was dedicated to all those musicians from the yesteryears who are now lost to time as they did not have proper recordings of their contributions towards local music in Sikkim or outside the state. “This is my personal endeavour to try to give recognition to these lost in time musicians and hope my book provides the right and appropriate account for the people who read the book,” she said.
In his short speech, Sikkim Express’ Mr. Patro firstly congratulated HGTI for instituting such an award to recognise investigative journalism in Sikkim and added that the issue of suicides and substance abuse was a very complex one, which, more than the media’s, needed the intervention of the civil society.
[AMEET OBEROI]