The soul of India lives in its villages,” was Mahatma Gandhi’s perspective about the rural parts of the country.
Four journalists who have touched the soul of rural India through their meticulous works, highlighting some of the grave issues faced by the people of remote areas in the country, were honoured with The Statesman Rural Reporting Awards 2022 this evening.
In an age where journalism has often become defined by the race to chase the news of the day, the rush for breaking news that fades away with the rising sun, or even the trend of clickbait headlines often leading to misinforming the public, the meticulous reportage of the awardees reflected some of the crucial challenges and triumphs of the people of rural India.
Ms Rupsa Chakraborty, special correspondent of The Indian Express, received the first prize for her reportage on the precarious state of the floating dispensaries, water ambulances and primary health centres in Nandurbar district of Maharashtra, adversely affecting numerous lives.
The second prize for rural reporting was given to Mr Sanket Jain, an independent journalist and documentary photographer for his report on climate change affecting the mental health of aspiring athletes in Kolhapur district of Maharashtra.
Ms Tazeen Qureshi, also an independent journalist, was given the third prize for her works on the establishment of a seed bank by the Kondh tribe in Raisar village in Odisha. The recipient for the Cushrow Irani Prize for Environmental Reporting was Navamy Sudhish, principal correspondent of The Hindu.