Regional Media

Hemen Barman, Assam

Since Independence, Assam has faced problem of illegal infiltration from neighbouring Bangladesh. According to official records, the state has more than 40 lakh illegal migrants.

The Congress that ruled the state for five decades failed to take any move to solve the illegal infiltration problem. Hemen Barman, a Staff Reporter of Assamese daily Niyamaiya Barta, has exposed the attitude of the national leaders towards this issue by filing a news item mentioning the historical evidence. He has brought to light a letter written by then Chief Minister of Assam Gopinath Bordoloi to Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. In this letter, Bordoloi requested Nehru to take necessary action to check the illegal migrants. Bordoloi pointed out that after Partition more than 2.5 lakh East Pakistan’s  (now Bangladesh) citizens came to Assam. Nehru was asked to distribute this burden among various states. In his reply, Nehru wrote to Bordoloi that illegal migrants of Assam is not a headache for the Congress and they are not in a position to distribute this population. Nehru warned that if Assam would not absorb these ‘refugees’ then the Centre would stop all financial aids to the state. Thanks to Barman that we came to know about this fact after a long time.      

Why did you highlight this issue now?

Infiltration from Bangladesh is a serious matter. Since Independence, the Congress has played a negative role. In Assam Accord illegal migration problem was given too much emphasis. But After 26 years of signing it, the illegal migration deportation section of the accord has not been implemented by any ruling governments. So, I decided to expose the real attitude of the Congress.

Did you face any problem?

No, I did not face any problem for exposing this issue. I received a lot of support.

What was the reaction?

The Assam Government has assured to take necessary action to curb the infiltration from Bangladesh.   

Ajay Sharma, Ranchi, Jharkhand

Ranchi-based Special Correspondent of Dainik Hindustan Ajay Sharma is an old hand at keeping an eye on the activities of criminals and Naxals. He has reported extensively on crime and Maoist violence and has earned a name as a brave newshound.

Sharma has been in the limelight of late for unearthing the nefarious nexus between a former minister and Naxals. He based his report on a taped conversation between BJP leader and former minister Satyanand Bhokta and the area commander of the Maoist Coordination Committee. In the tape Bhokta was heard directing the Maoist leader to kidnap members [of the District Council] and threaten them to name his wife the chairperson of Chatra District Council.

The news grabbed headlines and  chief minister Arjun Munda had to concede the Opposition’s demand for an investigation into the matter. Sharma has been receiving threats. 


What difficulties did you face in tracking down the secret tapes?

There are major hurdles that crop up when one chases this kind of news story. It’s risky but the thrill and satisfaction one gets in exposing the truth is too enormous to be expressed in words. If news reporting is done with honesty, then there is no risk. I got the lead from an intercept of the Superintendent of Police.

Did you receive any threats after the publication of this news?

Threats have always been a reality. But indirectly, it is the police that holds out threats more than the Naxals and the leader in question. The politician sent me message saying that by destroying his political career I have not done the right thing.

What kind of news stories do you particularly like to do?

Isn’t it obvious? I love tracking Naxals and criminals. I have often reported from the spot about public courts and police-Naxal encounter. I was once badly trapped in an encounter zone, but the Naxals helped me get out of danger. If you do not do biased news then there is no risk.

Have you ever been attacked by criminals while covering such good stories?

In the early days of my career, I had exposed a gang of car thieves who would kill the driver and flee with the vehicle. A member of this gang fired three bullets on me but I fortunately survived the attack. Since then I have been exposing criminals and Naxals. Also, I will continue to do this.

Sanjay Dubey, Bhopal


Sanjay Dubey, Special Correspondent, Patrika (Rajasthan PatrikaGroup), Bhopal, has a passion for news that directly impacts the life of the common man.

A journalist for 17 years, Dubey has worked for major Indian publications and has special interest in political, administrative and social reporting. He has used RTI for his reporting and bears charge of the RTI section of Patrika in the Bhopal bureau. More than 100 RTI applications from the cell are pending in various offices. He also coordinates with RTI activists to write on their endeavours.
He has broken many such stories which have put the legislature and the administration in the dock. Dubey says: “My aim is to take forth my journalism in the form of a mission and unmask those who evade accountability.” To a great extent he has been successful in his mission and wants to continue his crusade.

It is widely believed that Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan prefers much control over administrative officials. Last year, under the MP Public Services Accountability Act he tried to make public officials accountable to the public. Also, he directed officials and ministers to do night halts in villages.

But this did not happen. Dubey says: “I observed that while the Chief Ministers and ministers were embracing the people and Chauhan was fixing time to meet the common man, administrators were not establishing communication with people. Only a few special people were allowed to access to the Chief Secretary. So I decided to find out who these special few were.”

He asked RTI activist Ajay Dubey to file an application for the same. The surprising reply was that while no time had been fixed for the Chief Secretary to meet the common man, there were no records of those who met him.

“When this was discussed in the editorial meeting, we decided to run this news on the front page. The news created huge commotion in the corridors of power. The impact of the news was such that fresh alternatives are being  worked out remedy the situation. No records were kept so that the public would remain in dark about those who enjoyed special privileges.”

For honest and brave journalists like Dubey RTI has become a tool to get official information and expose the government. Many scribes,  including Dubey, have done a great service. 

John Rajesh Paul, Chattishgarh

In an age when journalists double up as fixers or public relation officers for select politicians, John Rajesh Paul is a synonym for reliability and truth.

In his journalistic pursuits Paul has exposed corruption in development works, the misdeeds of top bureaucrats or the transgressions of politicians. Two months ago, Paul broke a story about the Raipur Milk Federation’s two-and-a- half-decade-old loan from the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB). Over years the loan amount had galloped to Rs 22 crores.

Persistent follow ups of the news compelled the government to negotiate with NDDB and settle for a onetime payment of Rs 6 crores. Almost Rs 50 lakh from the milk federation had been looted by legislators, ministers, politicians and the management of the federation. The names of offenders were published in Dainik Bhaskar.


Why did you choose journalism as a career?

To begin with, I had no interest in journalism. It was my association with social work and the writing of press releases that drew me to the field. My father and grandfather were priests, dedicated to bringing justice to people. It was the same possibility that attracted me to journalism. Had I not been a journalist, I would have been a good priest.

Where did you learn investigative journalism?

I have been a journalist for the last 13 years. Before joining Dainik Bhaskar, I wrote for papers like Hindi Mail, Mahakaushal and Haribhoomi. I learnt to do the right kind of stories. Everyday government meetings and administrative decisions make for good
stories. The only point is, what issues you pick up and with what honesty are you willing to work on them.

Journalists are accused of being sold out. Has anyone ever tried to buy you?

Yes, some people did try. When I did not listen to them, they even tried to have me bumped. I have been abused by goons and chased. This happened when I was doing the story on the theft of germplasm. An international company trying to purchase the germplasm tried to buy me off. Similarly when I did a story on irregularities in the PSC examinations, everyone from my colleagues to government officials tried to pressurise me but I did not cave in and stuck to my ideals. There are moments of dejection but when the reader, colleagues and friends give me strength, it feels really good.

What is your take on paid news?

I believe that if you cannot give original content to your reader, it is better to shut shop than to fill up the newspaper with paid news.