Five scribes given state journalist awards
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, November 01 2008: STATE TODAY honoured five journalists including contributor/special correspondent of Hueiyen Lanpao and an editor of Hmar dialect daily by awarding the Manipur State Journalists' Award-2008 during a solemn function at the directorate of information and public relations complex here. The five journalists who have the opportunity to receive this year's awards include Lalmalsawm Sellate, editor of Hmasawna Thar, a Hmar daily in the category of National Integration and Communal Harmony, Sobhapati Samom, freelance journalist and contributor/special correspondent of Hueiyen Lanpao, in the category of Rural Reporting, Laishram Shamungou, staff reporter of The Sangai Express in Public Health and Hygine, Sonia Sorenshangbam staff reporter of Poknapham daily and Ngasepam Liklaileima, staff reporter of The Sangai Express shared the award in the category of Women and Children issue. Manipur information minister T N Haokip handed over the awards consisting a citation cum memento, a traditional shawl and a cash award of Rs 25,000 each in each category to the winning journalists as part of observing the State Information Day on Saturday morning.

Award winners Sonia S, Liklai Leima Ng, IPR Minister TN Haokip, Com (IPR) P Bharat, Sobhapati Samom, Laishram Shamungou and Lalmalsawm Sellate

The state information department instituted the Manipur State Journalist Award for National Integration and Communal Harmony till last year and it is given to only one editor of a local daily since 1993 onwards with cash award of Rs 5000 only.

But from this year onwards the awards were given in four different categories, each carrying Rs 25,000 and a citation cum memento.

According to P Bharat,Commissioner information and public relations department,till last around 10 state journalists-all editors of local dailies were given the award.

They are-Prof (L) N Tombi,S Jugol,Sh Gopal Sharma,Irengbam Arun,,Brozendra Ningomba, Khogendra Khomdram, Hijam Rajesh, N Sanatomba and N Biren .

While reminding media as the fourth pillar of the democracy state information minister, TN Hoakip has also lauded co-operation and support in passing the information from time to time on the development works taken up by the Secular Progressive Front, SPF government in the state.

To recall here, the state department of information and public relation has been giving awards to the selected editors upto last year with Rs.5,000 on the theme of national integration and communal harmony since its inception in 1994 .

State information minister, TN Haokip speaking as chief guest said that media which are consider being the fourth pillar in a democratic country has an indispensable great role in bringing forward a country or state should go together with the other three pillars.

Only when the four pillars go hand in hand together development will come, he added.

The minister also lauded the media for its support in highlighting the developmental works taken by the state SPF government.

Commissioner of information, P Bhorot Singh while giving key note address of the observation function said that DIPR is a very important department thought it was a small department.

He also talked on the various welfare programmes taken up by the department.

He also appealed the media not to publish reports which are not detail and true even though they have the freedom of writing and maintain limitation of the news report .