Assam: Sumir Karmakar, Biju Boro honoured at 4th Kalyan Barooah Memorial Awards

Sumir Karmakar of Deccan Herald and Biju Boro of Asomiya Pratidin have been named winners in the Print Media and Still Photography categories, respectively, at the 4th Kalyan Barooah Memorial Awards for Media 2026, announced by the North East Media Forum (NEMF) and NGO My Home India.

The awards recognise excellence among media professionals covering Northeast India and are presented in memory of veteran journalist Kalyan Barooah, who represented The Assam Tribune in New Delhi and died during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021, along with his journalist-wife Nilakshi Bhattacharyya.

The jury also conferred the Lifetime Achievement Award on veteran Assam journalist Sabita Goswami for her outstanding contribution to the profession.

The other winners across the media categories are Saraswat Goswami of DY365 in Electronic Media, Hrijoy Das Kanungo of India Today NE in Digital Media, and Dr Aparmita Das of India Today NE in Videography. Lalnunkimi Colney of East Mojo received the jury's appreciation in the Digital Media category.

The awards will be presented at a ceremony on November 21 at the Constitution Club of India in New Delhi. The event is expected to bring together award recipients, senior journalists, media professionals and other distinguished guests.

Goswami is among Assam's pioneering women journalists, having established herself in the state's media landscape during the 1970s and 1980s. During her career, she worked with international media organisations, including the BBC and Agence France-Presse (AFP), and reported for Indian publications such as Blitz and The Week.

She extensively covered significant developments in Assam, including the Assam Movement of the 1980s. Known for her independent and impartial approach, she brought important developments and ground realities from the state to national and international attention.

Her professional journey is chronicled in her autobiography, Mon Gangar Teerat, later translated into English as Along the Red River: A Memoir.

The five-member jury comprised senior journalists Kishore Seram, Shantanu Nandan Sharma and Sachin Gogoi, former All India Radio Director General Maushumi Chakraborty, and veteran broadcast journalist Basudha Banerjee.

Established in 1993, NEMF is a platform of media professionals from Northeast India working in the National Capital Region. My Home India, founded in 2005 by social activist Sunil Deodhar, works towards national emotional integration, youth empowerment and social harmony.