By Nava Thakuria
Guwahati: If nothing bad happens in the next few weeks, Northeast India will complete another year with no incident of journo-murder, the trend sustained for the last four years. The region comprising eight States witnessed two casualties of journalists to assailants (Shantanu Bhowmik and Sudip Datta Bhaumik) in Tripura (2017) for the last time, where the country as a whole continues losing five to 15 journalists to assailants every year.
The same tiny State had reported the assassination of three media persons (Sujit Bhattacharya, Ranjit Chowdhury and Balaram Ghosh) in 2013. They were killed together in the office of a Bengali newspaper inside the capital city of Agartala. In the previous year, Assam and Manipur had witnessed the murder of journalists for the last time to date, as Raihanul Nayum and Dwijamani Nanao Singh fell prey to assailants. However, until then, the trouble-torn region continued witnessing assassination of around five journalists annually, where Assam accounted for a major share of the victims. The State, supporting a number of newspapers, news channels and presently plenty of digital platforms, has witnessed the homicide of more than 30 editors/reporters/correspondents since 1991.
The saga of sensational journo-murder started with the brutal killing of veteran Assamese freedom fighter-turned-journalist Kamala Saikia. The septuagenarian teacher was targeted by the banned United Liberation Front of Assam (Ulfa) for his fierce criticism of its various disruptive activities. The outspoken media columnist was dragged out of his residence on the night of 9 August and his body was recovered next morning.
Five years later, the murder of human rights activist-turned-journalist Parag Kumar Das on 17 May in the heart of Guwahati also created a massive public outcry. The executive editor of Asomiya Pratidin was apparently targeted by surrendered armed militants as he used to write articles strongly criticising them as well the governments in New Delhi and Dispur for their “anti-Assam policies”.
Other journo-victims from Assam include Punarmal Agarwala, Pabitra Narayan Chutia, Dipak Swargiary, Manik Deuri, Panja Ali, Nurul Haq, Alfarid Shazad, Jiten Sutiya, Ratneswar Sarma Shastri, Dinesh Brahma, Indramohan Hakasam, Prahlad Gowala, Mohammad Muslemuddin, Bodosa Narzary, Jagajit Saikia, Ranbir Roy, Bimala Prasad Talukder and Anil Majumdar.
The Other Front: Covid-19
In another front, since March 2020 to date, the region lost more than 20 journalists to the Covid-19 pandemic, though it is low compared to the national volume of media-corona casualty crossing the 300-mark. Besides three scribes, who died while working outside the region, all others succumbed to coronavirus-related ailments while performing their duty as covid warriors in various north-eastern localities.
Assam witnessed the highest number of corona-casualties among media persons, while Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram and Sikkim have not reported any journo-death because of Covid-19 to date.
The first shocking news for the local media fraternity broke from Guwahati as a printer-publisher of popular Assamese daily Asomiya Khobor, Rantu Das, 54, was declared dead because of corona-complications on 3 July 2020.
The following month of September witnessed three corona-casualties among journalists in Assam. Rural reporter Dhaneswar Rabha (35), who was based in Udalguri locality, lost his battle with coronavirus on 6 September, while Silchar-based senior journalist Ashim Dutta (66) died on 7 September.
Golap Saikia, a radio news presenter who was also associated with a number regional satellite news channels, succumbed to corona complications on 26 September.
This year, Assam lost two media luminaries – Dr Lakshmi Nandan Bora and Homen Borgohain – to corona-aggravated ailments.
Sahitya Academy awardee author-journalist Bora (89) died on 3 June while undergoing treatment in a city hospital. Padma Shri awardee Bora was also president of Assam’s highly influential literary forum Asom Sahitya Sabha.
Veteran journalist, editor and litterateur Homen Borgohain (88), also a Sahitya Academy awardee and president of Asom Sahitya Sabha, died on 12 May.
City-based extremely talented journalist Aiyushman Dutta (35) succumbed to corona-complications on 26 April at a private hospital.
Earlier, Moran-based journalist Jadu Chutia (49) expired on 21 April at Assam medical college hospital in Dibrugarh.
More journalists followed them as Chaygaon-based scribe Shivacharan Kalita (60) died on 14 May. Bokajan-based reporter Rubul Dihingiya (44) died on 17 May while Nagaon-based reporter Humeswar Hira (63) passed away on 22 May.
New Delhi-based Assamese journalist Nilakshi Bhattacharyya (55) died of Covid-19 aggravated ailments on 30 April this year after hospitalization in the capital city. Sadly, her husband Kalyan Barooah (60), also a senior journalist from Assam, succumbed to the virus infection in the capital on 1 May. The same day, another Assamese media person Anirban Bora (43) passed away in New Delhi after losing the corona battle.
Tripura reported the first corona-media casualty as Jitendra Debbarma (46), who was associated with a Kokborok language news channel, died on 21 October last year.
Three more scribes namely Tanmoy Chakraborty, Manik Lal Das and Gautam Das succumbed to corona-complications.
Agartala- based freelance journalist Chakraborty (40) died on 25 April this year. Kumarghat- based senior journalist Das (58) expired on 18 July and Agartala-based journalist-turned-politician Gautam Das lost his corona-battle on 16 September.
Manipur lost senior journalist Sagolsem Hemant, 65, to Covid-19 on 30 May 2021. Later, it witnessed three more corona deaths – Saikhom Shantikumar, Thotshang Shaiza and Lairenjam Bijen Singh.
Imphal-based media person Shantikumar (51) died on 6 June, Ukhrul-based television journalist Shaiza (52) died on 12 June and Imphal-based scribe Singh (45) passed away on 23 July.
Meghalaya lost one journalist, Syndor Singh Syiem, 67, of post corona-complications on 6 August this year.
(The main/featured picture on top, by Pixabay, has been used for illustrative purpose only)
Nava Thakuria is a senior journalist based in northeast India. His news-features are published in various media outlets in different parts of the globe. His primary focus areas are socio-political, cultural and environmental developments taking place in eastern India along with Tibet, Bhutan, Myanmar and Bangladesh.
