By Our Correspondent
Guwahati (Asian independent) The annual Devarshi Narad Jayanti award was recently conferred on Assamese journalist Nava Thakuria, where three city-based promising reporters namely Ranjita Rabha of Pratham Khabar news channel, Lakhyajit Gohain of NK Television and Mridul Haloi of Dainik Asom were also felicitated. Organized by Vishwa Samvad Kendra (VSK) Assam at Sudarshanalaya in Barbari locality of the prehistoric Indian city on 7 June 2026, the function also witnessed an illuminating lecture presented by Prakhar Shrivastava, senior consulting editor and anchor at Delhi Doordarshan Kendra.
While delivering a factual and profound speech addressing the contemporary socio-political landscape and past historical errors, Shrivastava made a significant observation that in journalism, the propagation and judgment of half-truths pose a greater danger than outright falsehoods. He also made momentous remarks regarding the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on the year of centenary celebrations.
“While the media maintains a positive outlook toward the RSS in today’s altered political landscape, such an attitude was rare in the past. When the media paid scant attention to the Sangh, founded in 1925, the nation was on the brink of partition. At that time, senior Congress leaders from Pakistan’s Sindh province migrated to Hindustan with their belongings. During that tumultuous period, the RSS swayamsevaks (volunteers) risked their lives to rescue Hindus, Sikhs, and other communities targeted by the fundamentalists in Sindh,” stated Shrivastava.
He further highlighted a historical letter written by the then Defence minister Baldev Singh to Home minister Vallabhbhai Patel shortly after independence. Sardar Patel had suggested placing the letter before the Cabinet, which urged the government to cooperate with the Sangh’s efforts to rescue people stranded in peril inside Pakistan following the partition. “Regrettably, these developments fueled resentment in Prime Minister Nehru’s mind. Nehru imposed a ban on the RSS not primarily due to the allegations surrounding MK Gandhi’s assassination, but rather out of displeasure over the rescue operations conducted by the Sangh workers in Pakistan during partition,” he asserted.
“The first incident of mass lynching in independent India occurred in the wake of Gandhi’s assassination. This mass violence was perpetrated by a section of self-proclaimed Gandhians, and its first casualties were Dr Narayan Savarkar and other family members of Veer Savarkar,” said Shrivastava. He also highlighted the menace of illegal influx from East Pakistan turned Bangladesh since the era of Syed Muhammad Sadullah, impacting the demographic changes in Assam, and also the notorious roles played by Moinul Hoque Choudhury and Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed.
In his acceptance speech, Thakuria remarked that Narad, the divine messenger who created engagement through incisive questioning and well-meaning counsel moving across three Loks (Swarga, Martya and Patal), remains a guiding light for journalism. He emphasized that the credibility of the mythological character Narad, who successfully mediated among deities, kings, demons and others in the society, remains immensely relevant to contemporary journalism. Thakuria also pointed out that the western model of institutionalized, individual-centric journalism has adversely affected India’s culturally rooted and nature-centric news values.
The Narad Jayanti awards in earlier years went to some of the finest Assamese media professionals namely Dhirendra Nath Chakrabarty, Dhirendra Nath Bezbaruah, Kanak Sen Deka, Mahendra Barua, Shashi Phukan, Anil Baruah, Gautam Sarma, Rupam Baruah, PJ Baruah and Shantanu Tamulik. This year’s awardee Thakuria joined mainstream Assamese journalism in 1990, but later he shifted to English journalism. Currently his articles are published in various print & digital media outlets based in different parts of south and southeast Asian nations. He is also a regular participant in various television talk-shows on current topics. An alumnus of Assam Engineering College (under Gauhati University), Thakuria has received a number of award-fellowships including one from the Geneva-based media rights body, Press Emblem Campaign in 2021.
At the commencement of the program, VSK Assam secretary Kishore Shivam presented a brief overview of Devarshi Narada, depicting him as the seeker of knowledge and the eradicator of flaws. He noted that a deeper research into Narada’s 84 Bhakti Sutras could enrich the aims and objectives of modern journalism. The event also featured the unveiling of a souvenir Veena Bani, alongside a rendition of Saraswati Vandana by Tribeni Bujarbaruah. VSK Assam president Gouranga Sarma also addressed the gathering. Anchored by Naba Bujar Baruah, the meeting concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Guru Prasad Medhi.
