Doomdooma press club holds tribute meet for late Prafulla Govinda Baruah
Senior journalist Dr Samudragupta Kashyap said PG Baruah never compromised on journalistic ethics while leading the Assam Tribune Group
Doomdooma Press Club paying homage to late Prafulla Govinda Baruah (Photo: AT)
Doomdooma, Dec 27: A pall of quiet grief enveloped the premises of the Doomdooma Press Club on Friday as journalists, academicians, and citizens gathered to pay homage to late Prafulla Govinda Baruah, Chairman Emeritus of the Assam Tribune Group and editor of The Assam Tribune, whose passing has left an irreplaceable void in Assam’s media landscape.
Describing PG Baruah as “a worthy son of a worthy father”, Dr Samudragupta Kashyap, senior journalist of national repute and incumbent chancellor of the Nagaland University, said that it was PG Baruah who carried forward the legacy of his father Radha Govinda Baruah and transformed the Assam Tribune Group into a leading newspaper institution.
Dr Kashyap was speaking as the chief speaker at the tribute programme organised by the Doomdooma Press Club on its premises.
Dr Kashyap recalled that journalists and employees of the Assam Tribune Group always felt secure working under PG Baruah’s protective guidance.
He said that PG Baruah never compromised with the ideals and ethics of journalism and, under his leadership, both The Assam Tribune and Dainik Asam set a benchmark for responsible and principled journalism in Assam.
Soft-spoken yet firm in conviction, PG Baruah was an ideal proprietor-editor, a rarity in today’s newspaper world, Dr Kashyap added.
He also noted that PG Baruah constantly reminded journalists about their social responsibility and ensured that the newspaper group never fell prey to political manipulation or government intrigue.
The programme also heard heartfelt tributes from Dr Meena Devi Baruah, president of the Tinsukia district unit of the Sadou Asom Lekhika Samaroh Samiti; Uddhav Sharma, retired tea estate manager; Dr Kamaleswar Kalita, principal of the Doomdooma College; Dr Amorjit Saikia, principal of the Bir Raghav Moran Government Model College, Doomdooma; and senior journalist Dhiren Deka, all of whom spoke of PG Baruah’s integrity, humility and towering contribution to journalism.
Earlier, veteran journalist Arjun Baruah, who was associated with Dainik Asam as its correspondent from Doomdooma for long 51 years, lit a lamp before the portrait of late PG Baruah and offered floral tributes, setting a solemn tone for the programme.
The tribute meet was presided over by Manoj Dutta, president of the Doomdooma Press Club.
At the outset, the Club’s secretary, Pradip Kumar Moran, explained the objective of the programme. The proceedings were conducted by Abhijit Khataniar, vice president of the Doomdooma Press Club and Doomdooma correspondent of The Assam Tribune.