Guwahati: The Covid-19 pandemic has snatched away the lives of over 20
north-eastern journalists since March 2020, which is comparatively low
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 the novel coronavirus infection related ailments
while performing their duty as covid warriors in 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 till date. First
shocking news for the local media fraternity broke from Guwahati as a
printer & publisher of popular Assamese daily Asomiya Khobor (Rantu
Das, 54 years old) 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 on 6 September, where
Silchar-based senior journalist Ashim Dutta (66) died on 7 September.
A radio news presenter named Golap Saikia, who was also associated
with a number regional satellite news channels, succumbed to the
complications on 26 September.
This year, Assam lost two media luminaries (Dr Lakshmi Nandan Bora and
Homen Borgohain) to the 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, 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) on 17 May and
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. Same day, another Assamese media
person Anirban Bora (43) passed away in New Delhi fighting the corona
battle.
Tripura, a Bangladesh bordering tiny State, 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.
Myanmar bordering State of Manipur lost a senior journalist (Sagolsem
Hemant, 65) to Covid-19 on 30 May 2021. Later it witnessed three more
corona related 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) on 12
June and Imphal-based scribe Singh (45) passed away on 23 July.
Meghalaya lost one journalist (Syndor Singh Syiem, 67) in post
corona-complications on 6 August this year.
