FIRST GRAMEEN PATRAKARITA PURASKAR CONFERRED ON WANGCHUK BHUTIA; POSITIVE JOURNALISM GRANTS FOR FIVE OTHERS
GANGTOK, 23 Nov: Wangchuk Bhutia was conferred the first ‘Grameen Patrakarita Puraskar’ [Rural Journalism Award] at the National Press Day observance organized here by the Press Club of Sikkim today. Mr. Bhutia is the North Sikkim correspondent of NOW! and has also been contributing reports to Samay Dainik and Nayuma Television.
The award, instituted by the Press Club of Sikkim earlier this year with financial support from Governor Balmiki Prasad Singh, was conferred on Mr. Bhutia in recognition of the eight years of unflinching commitment with which he has covered the district. The award includes a cash component of Rs. 10,000, a citation and a shawl.
Although National Press Day falls on 16 November, its observance here was postponed for today in light of the Tyohar holidays which would have made the attendance of most of the journalists difficult. Today’s function, hosted by the PCS on behalf of the Department of Information and Public Relation, had Chairperson, State Social Welfare Board, BB Gooroong, as chief guest and was presided over by the Sikkim University Vice Chancellor, Prof TB Subba.
Thanking the organizers for selecting him for the award, Dikchu-based Mr. Wangchuk, welcomed the institution of the Grameen Patrikarita Puraskar, sharing that the gesture has “deeply appreciated” by all district correspondents of Sikkim, many of whom, although they work under difficult conditions, are rarely recognized for their professionalism. “I receive this award on behalf of all my colleagues who have been reporting from and about places in Sikkim which would otherwise never make it to the headlines,” Mr. Bhutia said in his acceptance speech.
Also today, five journalists received Positive Journalism Grants from the IPR Department. The five are: Nandu Dutraj [Saptahik Halchal, Singtam], Meena Chettri [Himali Srijana, Gangtok], Bishnu Neopaney [Sikkim NOW!], Namo Dixit [Sikkim Express, Namchi] and Bhoj Kumar Tamang [Nayuma Television, Namchi].
Addressing the gathering today, Mr. Gooroong took journalists in attendance down memory lane, sharing snippets from his own time as a journalist in Sikkim in the sixties. Journalists commanded high respect in the pre-Merger days, he shared, adding that this environment continued under LD Kazi’s government as well. “[L.D.] Kazi was a true democrat who valued good journalism and respected freedom of speech,” he said. The conditions changed in 1979 when Nar Bahadur Bhandari took charge as Chief Minister and the suppression of media and media-persons continued till 1994 and the fear psychosis lifted only with the arrival of Pawan Chamling as Chief Minister, he recapped.
The working condition and the environment are much better and freer in Sikkim now, he said, adding that he did not need to explain this in detail since the journalists in the audience knew this more closely themselves. However, aberrations still occur, he remarked, mentioning the recent attack on the NOW! office. Such “heinous” acts deserve unequivocal condemnation, he said, adding that the unity shown by the media fraternity in the wake of the attack was a refreshing stand.
He also put on record his appeal to the State authorities to ensure that a strong case was made out against the accused and that clear justice was delivered.
In an interesting coincidence, even Prof. Subba, now the Sikkim University VC who shared the dais with dignitaries today, has also, like Mr. Gooroong, been a journalist in the past. Part of the team which set up the universally respected Nepali daily of the Eighties, Himali Abha, published from Siliguri, Prof Subba was also a columnist with the Kalimpong-based English weekly, Himalayan Observer. He shared today that a series of articles he wrote on statehood [in relation to Darjeeling] as a student at North Bengal University, introduced him very closely to the kind of pressure under which journalists worked. His articles did not go down too well with the promoters of the Aandolan of the Eighties and he could not visit home for two years as a result, he shared.
Prof. Subba also spoke at length on aspects of freedom of speech and the lengths to which it can be stretched, often attracting the risk of licentious excess. The delineation is not very clearly defined, he commented, adding that it was for this reason that journalists needed to be specially more conscious of their responsibilities.
Earlier, North East TV’s Sikkim correspondent, Chewan Krishna Dahal, made a presentation on ‘Freedom of Media’.
The function started with the welcome address by DIO [East], Yadav Kafley and concluded with the presentation of vote of thanks by Press Club of Sikkim president, Bhim Rawat.
