Guwahati: “The Kashmir Files”, which is based on the genocide of Kashmiri Pandits in 1990 and has been released this week in cinema halls, should be declared tax-free in Assam, stated Patriotic People’s Front Assam (PPFA). The forum of nationalist citizens argues that nobody made a film based on this subject even though India produces hundreds of feature films every year. “The film has already been declared tax-free in Haryana and Madhya Pradesh. Initially set to release worldwide on 26 January 2022 coinciding with the auspicious Republic Day, but director Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri had to postpone because of the Omicron…
Author: Nava Thakuria
Guwahati: Paying floral tribute to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on his 125th birth anniversary, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Dr Mohan Bhagwat commented that Bose was a symbol of courage, sacrifice and patriotism, who dedicated his entire life for the freedom expectant people of Bharat. Addressing a distinguished gathering in Imphal of Imphal on 23 January 2022, Sarsanghchalak Bhagwat pointed out that even though the RSS celebrates Netaji’s birth anniversary regularly this year’s celebration is important as it falls with the 75th year of India’s independence, for which Netaji sacrificed his entire life. “For the sake of independence, Netaji left…
Guwahati: Amidst the threat of spreading novel coronavirus (precisely the Omicron variant) across India, Asom Granthamela (Assam Book Fair) came to a successful end in Guwahati, the virtual capital of Northeast. Organised jointly by Asom Prakashan Parishad (Publication Board Assam, the government sponsored literary institution) and All Assam Publishers & Book Sellers Association maintaining necessary Covid-19 precautions, the 12-day event genuinely paved ways for observation, debate and resolutions over the future of books and also physical newspapers. Braving the cold wave, thousands of book-lovers from different parts of the region thronged at Assam Engineering Institute playground in Chandmari locality every…
Geneva: Nearly 2000 journalists died of Covid-19 in 94 countries since March 2020. Last year, in 2021, at least 1400 media workers succumbed to the virus, that is to say 116 par month or some 4 per day on average, announced Friday in Geneva the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC). No continent is spared by the pandemic. Of the 1940 journalists dead registered by the PEC since March 1, 2020, Latin America leads with half of the victims, or 955 deaths. Asia follows with 556 dead, aheadof Europe 263, then Africa 98 and North America 68. More than 50 casualties are…
Guwahati: Reacting to a viral social media post insisting on India’s diplomatic liberty out of the Commonwealth of Nations, Patriotic People’s Front Assam (PPFA) bats for appointing ambassadors (instead of high commissioners) in most of the 53 Commonwealth countries, so that the Union Government in New Delhi can pursue diplomatic relationships with these nations without any prejudice. One can observe from the list of ambassadors/high commissioners (of India) in various Commonwealth countries across the world that there is no Indian ambassador (but high commissioners). The question that arises is, why New Delhi is not interested to appoint ambassadors in neighboring Bangladesh,…
Geneva: Press Emblem Campaign (PEC), the global media safety and rights body, wishes all media workers around the world a happy, secured and prosperous new year. The bygone year witnessed thekilling of 79 media employees by assailants in 29 countries marking an improvement in journo-murder index by 14% (where 92 were killed in 2020).PEC has lately confirmed the death of Burmese journalist A Kay Sai (also known as Sai Win Aung) because of serious head injuries by the shell operated by the Myanmar military junta at Maekheewar village of Karen State on 25 December last. Sai (38) was trapped in…
Geneva: As the year 2021 sets to finish its cycle, Afghanistan emerges as the most dangerous country for scribes with 12 journo-casualties, followed by Mexico (10 dead), Pakistan (7), India (6), etc. The southAsian nation also lost at least 10 media workers to the Covid-19 complications till date, said Press Emblem Campaign (PEC), the global media safety and rights body. Since the Taliban take over the country in August, it also witnessed the collapse of over 150 print media outlets following new restrictions and many opted for online news services. Thousands of professional journalists lost their jobs and many left…
Geneva: Freelance photojournalist Ko Soe Naing died lately under the Myanmar military custody and thus the young scribe becomes the first media-victims in the country (also known as Burma or Brahmadesh) after the 1 February 2021 military coup that deposed the democratically elected Aung San Suu Kyi led government in Naypietaw. Naing, who used to contribute for various media outlets of the south-east Asian country, was arrested from Yangon while he was covering an anti-junta demonstration on 10 December (Human Rights Day)in the former capital of Myanmar. Later he was sent to a military interrogation center, where he died probably…
Geneva: Three ethnic Shan journalists along with a civilian were imprisoned for three years recently by a military court in Myanmar for spreading misinformation about the regime in Naypyidaw. Press EmblemCampaign (PEC), the global media safety and rights body, deplores the sentences and urges the military junta to respect the freedom of press. Editor Nann Nann Tai (also known as Nann Nway Nway Hlaing), publisher Ko Tin Aung Kyaw and female reporter Nan Win Yi of Kanbawza Tai News along with Ko Sai Sithu, who were detained by the security forces from Hopong locality of Shan State on 24 March,…
Guwahati: The rousing voices against the brutal armed forces special powers act 1958 (AFSPA) gain momentum again in northeast India with the incident of Oting village in Nagaland, where 14 civilians recently lost their lives under its complicity. From local villages to State level organizations, north-eastern to national and international institutions have now come forward raising voices against the six decades long act urging its urgent repeal. Disturbing news broke from Nagaland’s Mon district on 4 December 2021, where the security forces opened fire on a vehicle carrying a group of village youths from daily work. The military troopers, following…
Geneva/Guwahati : Afghanistan and Mexico are the most dangerous countries for media work this year, the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) said in its annual report in Geneva on Thursday in view of Human Rights Day. Since 1 January, 76 media workers have been killed in 28 countries around the world. Afghanistan leads with 12 assassinations, ahead of Mexico where 10 journalists were killed. Among the most dangerous countries are Pakistan (7), India (6), Yemen (4), Democratic Republic of Congo (3) and the Philippines (3 killed). Two deaths were recorded in Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Brazil, Burkina-Faso, Colombia, as well as in Ethiopia, Kenya,…
Hyderabad: Indian Journalists Union (IJU) expresses concern over the slapping of sedition charges against a journalist from Assam’s Barak valley and urges the authority to withdraw the case against Anirban Roy Choudhury. The Silchar-based editor of digital outlet BarakBulletin faces sedition charges over an editorial and the young scribe has been summoned by the police to be present at Silchar Sadar police station on Monday morning, following an FIR, lodged by Santanu Sutradhar of All Assam Bengali Hindu Association. “It is shocking that the news portal editor has been booked under sedition charges targeting his freedom of expression guaranteed by…
Hyderabad: Indian Journalists Union (IJU) expresses serious concern over the intimidation of banned separatist outfit United Liberation Front of Assam (Independent) to a Guwahati-based news channel editor for his views on three youths’ departure to join the militant group. In a statement (dated 22 Nov 2021), the Ulfa (I) targeted ND24 (News Daily 24) editor Rajdeep Bailung Baruah following his comments that three detained Assamese youths, who seemingly went to join the outfit, if interrogated it would be clear who instigated them to take the path. Assam Rifles detained them from Mon district of Nagaland bordering Myanmar. Questioning the editor’s…
Guwahati: Indian Journalists Union (IJU) expresses shock over the brutal murder of a young scribe in Bihar and demands a thorough probe into the incident that led to the untimely demise of Buddhinath Jha. The national union of scribes also raised voices for discarding all legal procedures against two female journalists by the Tripura government in Agartala. The 22 years old Madhubani-based scribe and a Right to Information activist was found dead on 12 November after he went missing for some days. Buddhinath (also known as Avinash Jha) used to report on many fake medical clinics operating in his locality.…
Guwahati: The oldest political party of India is facing a crisis in north-eastern States and it became visible after the results of nine byelections came out on Tuesday, while the polling was conducted on 30 October in Mizoram, Meghalaya and Assam along with a few other States in the country. Indian National Congress (INC) lost all the competing assembly seats as it failed to get any of the candidates elected to the respective legislative assemblies.The victorious Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) succeeded in most of the seats. The scheduled byelections in Nagaland was evaded as the ruling National Democratic Progressive Party…