Veteran Reporter Sabita Goswami Leads Kalyan Barooah Media Award Winners

Guwahati: The North East Media Forum and NGO My Home India named veteran journalist Sabita Goswami as the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award for the 2026 Kalyan Barooah Memorial Awards. Goswami carved out a path for women in Assam journalism during the 1970s and 1980s. She reported for international outlets like the BBC and Agence France-Presse while writing for Indian publications including Blitz and The Week. Her coverage of the 1980s Assam Movement brought regional struggles to a global audience, a career she detailed in her memoir, Along the Red River.

The honors recognize reporting excellence across the Northeast. Saraswat Goswami of DY365 won for Electronic Media, and Sumir Karmakar of the Deccan Herald took the Print Media prize. Hrijoy Das Kanungo of India Today NE earned the Digital Media award. Biju Boro of Asomiya Pratidin secured the Still Photography honor. Dr. Aparmita Das of India Today NE won for Videography, and the jury gave an appreciation recognition in Digital Media to Lalnunkimi Colney of EastMojo.

A five-member jury selected the winners. The panel included Kishore Seram, Maushumi Chakraborty, Basudha Banerjee, Shantanu Nandan Sharma, and Sachin Gogoi. The awards honor the memory of Kalyan Barooah, who died during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. Organizers state the awards "seek to recognise journalistic excellence and encourage professional integrity." The ceremony happens November 21, 2026, at the Constitution Club of India in New Delhi.