~Udhyan Chamling Rai, Darjeeling
Community Development Journalism is locally oriented news coverage in any medium that typically covers reports documenting socio-economic, educational and political developments of a civil society recording historical current affairs in journalistic parameters and ethics ensuring rights enshrined in the constitution of the country. Nanda Kumar Dewan is a recognized face in the field of Community Development Journalism for more than a decade in North Eastern parts of India based out of Guwahati and also in Community lead development movements. His dynamic personality and dedication towards Community Journalism and community related services has influenced many youths from the region and he continues to make every possible attempt at reaching out to them. His deep involvement in the services of social welfare, strong determination to work for the betterment of the community makes him stand out as a man with exemplary qualities of a leader and a believer in humanity. Over the time of 15 years Nanda Kumar Dewan has been commended for his brilliant extraordinary commitment towards revealing local area concerns. Reporting financial and political turns of events and driving local area common society association as a bleeding edge columnist, recording late issues and chronicled matters of the local area, raising issues, predicaments and worries in fair boundaries and guaranteeing their privileges cherished in the constitution..
On 10th Dec 2021 Nanda Kumar Dewan, community development journalist from Guwahati, Assam, India has been awarded with ‘Community Development & Global Peace Journalism 7th International Award 2020’ that carries an award and Awardee name inscribed Gold Medal and Citation for his exemplary work on community development journalism for more than a decade courageously raising issues of community concern and continuously documenting developments thereby contributing to global peace outstandingly. He has several community recognitions and awards too, but through this award, Mr. Dewan has not just proved his credibility but also brought laurels to his community and his people from the region. Being his editor in initial days I am proud of his achievement which he has managed to attain at such a young age. He has definitely proved himself to be an asset to his fraternity and community. The 7th edition of this prestigious International Journalism Award being awarded to Nanda Kumar Dewan is selected out of 11 nominations from 10 nations worldwide for his continuous contributions towards community and development journalism over the last 15 years documenting socio economic and political developments and leading community civil society organization being a frontline journalist, recording recent affairs and historical matters of the community, raising issues, plights and concerns in democratic parameters and ensuring their rights enshrined in the constitution ultimately paving way for global peace.
The Community Development and Global Peace Journalism International award was instituted in the 2000 by the National Press Club, Nepal – one of 43 constituent member of International Association of Press Clubs in recognition of continuous exemplary work towards recording recent activities of the community making it of historical importance and extraordinarily documenting development, drawing attention of the highest authorities concern to resolve it amicably thereby largely contributing to Global Peace. Nanda Kumar Dewan beat 10 journalists worldwide for his extraordinary efforts and contribution in global peace building by excellently reporting plights of the tribe, highlighting concerns of the community that hardly got attention in centre stage and dedicatedly documenting developments till the constitutional rights enshrined are granted. Alumnus of this international journalism award, that is given once in every three years are Mr Andrew Mollisson, President, National Press Club of America in 2000, Mr Peter May, President of International Institute of Journalism, Germany in 2003, Mr Casper De Stoppelallar, Freelance Journalist, Netherlands in 2006, Ms. Rosellie Leslie Dickson, Executive Director , Press Club of Canada in 2009 , Mr Yam Kumar Sunuwar, Senior Peace Journalist from United States of America in 2012-13, Ms. Noemie Pannetier, Sr. Community Journalist from France in 2016-17 and Nanda Kumar Dewan, Senior Community Development Journalist from Guwahati Assam India is the 7th awardee since it’s inception in 2000 AD and was presented this highly prestigious award in 2020-21.Nanda Kumar Dewan whose contribution to community development journalism is paramount and has also been recognized in the region too. He was felicitated with Kalimpong Press Club’s Emerging Journalist Award in 2008 and voted ‘Top 10 Gorkhas of Assam’ by ‘Sapariwar’ vernacular language monthly magazine published from Assam’s capital Guwahati city by one of the prestigious publishing house HMS Publication Pvt. Ltd. which published 3 monthly magazine and weeklies after being nominated from journalism field. At a young age of 22, for his outstanding contribution in community and digital journalism he was given Honorary Membership of the pioneer press club of Assam the Gauhati Press Club in 2009. He was awarded the ‘National Emerging Journalist 2009’ in Kalimpong district of West Bengal in India at a community felicitation program organized by one of oldest civil society organization of the region followed by formal felicitations by the Sikkim Press Club in Gangtok, Sikkim in 2010. The Kalimpong Press Club of West Bengal had invited him as a resource person in their annual workshop and felicitated him with honorary membership for his contribution to community development journalism. In 2019 0n National Press Day on the occasion of its first foundation day Mobile Journalism Association of India (MOJAI) awarded Nanda Kumar Dewan with ‘National Excellence Award for Community and Development Journalism 2019’ and in 2022 MOJAI elected him as its Secretary General and honored him with Honorary Membership. Indian Journalist Union virtually awarded him with Himalayan Excellence Journalism Award 2021 for being the recipient of prestigious international award and his unparalleled contribution in community journalism.
Besides working as a journalist of international reputation from the virtual capital of India’s North Eastern region Nanda Kumar Dewan is a prolific speaker, youth leader of community civil society organization, class apart trainer who imparted trainings in workshops and spoke in symposiums and Specialized Speaker on Gorkha community matters as media panelist. Besides International Relations he is hugely interested in Industrial Relations for inviting and assisting investment in the region thereby generating income and employment opportunities so that the development index and community concern are addressed to certain extent. Dewan widely reported about North Eastern Communities particularly about the Gorkha community more than a decade that lead to creation of Gorkha Development Council (GDC), Government of Assam a constitutional setup formed by the government to address issues and concerns of the Gorkha community. His continuous intervention as community youth leader and rolling reportage with continuous coverage nationally backed by organizational agitation lead to solution of D Voters issues and Land Rights being granted in the protected Tribal Belt and Block in Assam.
Due to excellent command over the subject, his career growth is phenomenal. He rose from intern reporter to roving editor in one decade of continuous service and have demonstrated amazing managing skills in his community media organization Assam Timess since it’s inception in 2007. He started his career in 2006 as a photo news caption editor and photojournalist in UB Photos & News agency and served till 2009. While in UB Photos he was given special assignments of covering VVIP visits including foreign head of the states. Nanda Kumar Dewan is an owner of multi dynamic personality who commands in English, Nepali, Hindi, Assamese and regional community languages are commendable. An outspoken communicator, a class orator Dewan had a stint in Television Journalism in a nepali language infotainment and India based news channel ABN TV where he headed his region bureau as it’s Editor North East Affairs and was Head of the Business Development.
On personal front I have known him as his editor since he reported for DarjeelingTimes.com digital media as Bureau Chief regularly and covered special stories for Darjeeling Times our monthly news magazine. His November cover story ‘Bloodbath in Bhimajuli, Gorkhas at Gunpoint’ regarding massive human massacre carried out by the banned militant outfit National Democratic Front of Nagaland (NDFB) in a Gorkha populated village in Sonitpur district along Assam Arunachal border under Balichang PS. Readers could visualize chronological painful events where 14 people including 8 Gorkhas and a girl child were indiscriminately gunned down midnight of 4th Oct 2009. In the explained cover story published after one month of actual incident held administration accountable to the immediate families of victims and injured who were timely compensated and ‘samuhik sharadha’ being performed by the district administration. His stories on community lead movements from the Northeast region were an insight story for readers. He has extensively covered from conflict zones and have reported on United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) and its splinter groups also the Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN) since ceasefire which provides its readers with actual struggling stories of arms movement in the region. He saw interstate border disputes since his school days as he grew up along Assam Nagaland border in Merapani and it was not reported in any newspapers or TV news. I think it is here, where he picked up to be a Community Journalist. He was born to a farmer father Ganesh Kumar Dewan and homemaker mother Chandra Maya Dewan in a traditional Gorkha family on 29th February 1988 at Chandanpur village under Sarupani GP in Golaghat district of Assam. He is a Mass Communication and Journalism (MCJ) graduate and International Relations (IR) drop out from Sikkim University despite that Mr. Dewan has proven his leadership skills with multi tasking abilities demonstrated in tough times, who lead an aid program during Nepal Earth Quake disaster in 2014 under the campaign #WeStandwithNepal in association with AVAS Foundation, Guwahati. In 2019-20 during the Covid 19 pandemic, besides raising concerns of the community and highlighting issues, he was leader of a team of youth who setup Covid-19 Help Desk group through digital media and took part in rescue operations of stranded people, medical aid to infected patients, basic essentials and relief materials, parental guidance to kids and emotional support to elderly persons for the last two years. He also lead Covid-19 vaccination awareness program. He has several community recognitions and awards too, but through this international award, Mr. Dewan has not just proved his credibility but also brought laurels to his community and his people from the region. Being his editor in initial days I am proud of his achievement which he has managed to attain at such a young age. He has definitely proved himself to be an asset to his fraternity and community. With the above qualities it appears to me that the 7th International Awardee for Community Development & Global Peace Journalism initiated by National Press Club (NPC), Nepal and supported by America Nepal Press Club (ANPC), US, Nanda Kumar Dewan has emerged as leader of community development journalism with such an impeccable track record, uncompromising principles, and unwavering dedication followed by commitment and smart work. I am confident that Dewan being man of principle with extremely high morale is an asset for our fraternity and could be priceless resource in any society he lives in, any association he is affiliated to or any organization he gets associated. Nanda Kumar Dewan is better known by his affidavited name Nanda Kirati Dewan who indentifies him with his ethinicity besides being an Indian.
~The author Udhyan Chamling Rai is veteran journalist from Darjeeling West Bengal, India. Rai is the founder and Editor in Chief of Darjeeling Times where Nanda K Dewan contributed as Bureau Chief from North East India.
