Ghanaian journalists conferred
KC Kulish International Award
The media should engage in constructive
debate on important issues: PM
The biggest award in the world of its kind, the ‘Karpoor Chandra Kulish International Award for Excellence in Print Journalism-2009’ was awarded to the team of The New Crusading Guide, a daily newspaper from Ghana, West Africa for their stories on Ghana’s Madhouse and Chinese Sex Mafia. The winning team received a sum of US $11,000, a trophy and individual medals and certificates from the Indian prime minister. In addition, seven outstanding stories were given special merit awards. Here is a brief
The prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh presenting the KC Kulish Internatinal Award for Excellence in Print Journalism ’09 to the team from Ghana’s morning news daily The New Crusading Guide: from left, Pamela Smart Abey, Selease Kove-Seyram, and from right Adam Ajogenu. Also seen in the picture: BL Joshi, governor, Uttar Pradesh and Gulab Kothari, editor-in-chief, Patrika group.
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The Indian premier Dr Manmohan Singh presented the prestigious ‘Karpoor Chandra Kulish International Award for Excellence in Print Journalism-2009’ at a glittering award ceremony in New Delhi on June 06, 2011. This time the team of The New Crusading Guide, a daily newspaper from Ghana, West Africa has been conferred the award. The winning team of journalists, including Anas Areneyaw Anas (team leader), Mary Fianko Akuffo and Selease Kove-Seyram, was awarded for their investigative story campaigns titled ‘Undercover inside
Ghana’s Madhouse’ and ‘Undercover inside the Chinese Sex Mafia’. Their stories on Ghana’s Madhouse have been an outcome of a seven month investigated work across four regions - South Africa, Burkina Faso, Ghana and Sweden, where the leader of the team posed as a psychiatric patient to uncover
The Merit Award winners, from left: Dayashankar Shukla, Hindustan; Zarra
Murav, Hindustan Times, Vinod Kumar, Malayalam Manorama; from right Santosh
Kumar from Indian Express and Deepika Daily’s Raizi Joseph.
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significant issues of discrimination and activities of charlatans in relation to mental illness and the various approaches to its cure. The story exposed the malpractices in the system and compelled the authorities to draft the mental health bill. In another campaign, the Chinese sex mafia was busted and three traffickers were imprisoned for 41 years and the rescued girls were rehabilitated with the intervention of Chinese Government.
Apart from the above winners, seven other stories have also been chosen for the Merit Awards and teams of these awards were also felicitated at the ceremony. These seven outstanding stories included: Farzi Khate from Hindustan, Lucknow; Kerala Yatra from Malayala Manorama, Kottayam; Inspired India from Hindustan Times, New Delhi; 42 Harassed many in jail from The Indian Express, New Delhi; The Priest with the Midas Touch from Deepika Daily, Kottayam; Prisoners of Ignorance and tradition from La Opinion, Los Angeles; Missing Person in Balochistan from Daily Jang, Baluchistan (Pakistan).
BL Joshi, governor of UP; Gulab Kothari, editor-in-chief, Patrika group; Dr CP Joshi, the union
minister for Road Transport & Highways; and Ambika Soni, the union minister for Information
& Broadcasting inaugurating senior journalist VN Narayan’s book ‘Seeds of a Seed’.
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Speaking on the occasion, the prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh appreciated Rajasthan Patrika’s initiatives and commended them. He also spoke about media’s responsibility towards the nation and said that it is the duty of the media to raise constructive issues which are important for all countrymen, especially the socially and economically backward classes.
In his address, BL Joshi, governor of Uttar Pradesh said that Rajasthan Patrika has always strived to inform, educate and entertain, not just the people in Rajasthan but of the entire Hindi heartland. He acknowledged that Patrika group has always been true to their ideals and has encouraged honest journalism.
(From left)The prime minister, Dr Manmohan Singh. BL Joshi, governor, Uttar Pradesh. Gulab Kothari, editor-in-chief, Patrika group
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The welcome address, Gulab Kothari, editor-in-chief, Patrika group talked about limitations for regional newspapers vs English language. He observed that it has been a matter of great pride and honour for him and every body at the Patrika Group that despite all the threats, challenges, temptations, Rajasthan Patrika has stood its ground and stayed true to the ideals instilled by its founder Shri Karpoor Chandra Kulish. Giving reference of a report by Press Council of India, he proudly mentioned, “While most of major newspapers were found involved in publishing ‘paid news’, Rajasthan Patrika is an exception to this practice. That’s why we call our newspaper, ‘The newspaper with a soul’.” He added that he is hopeful that Rajasthan Patrika continues to enjoy the support and love of the entire country and helps people in fighting all kinds of oppression, tyranny and corruption.
Set up in the memory of Karpoor Chandra Kulish, founder of the Patrika group, in 2007, the KCKI award (worth $11,000) recognizes the outstanding work of the team of journalists published in a daily newspaper consistent with the theme which remains different every year. The stories are assessed on team work, ground investigation and impact. The theme for the award this time was ‘Inclusive Development’. Rajasthan Patrika received a number of national and international entries from reputed dailies across the globe, which were judged by a distinguished jury panel which included well known personalities like Gloria Brown Anderson, vice president, international and editorial development, news services division, The New York Times; S Gurumurthy, reputed corporate advisor and journalist; Yoginder K Alagh, chairman of the Institute of Rural Management; Anand and Gulab Kothari of Patrika group.
The first KC Kulish Award was jointly awarded to the teams of Hindustan Times, India and Dawn, Pakistan for the theme ‘Human Development’. Subsequently, another story published in Hindustan Times, received the second KC Kulish Award for the theme ‘Terrorism and Society’. The themes for 2010 and 2011 are ‘Crusade against Corruption’ and ‘Changemakers’, respectively and the stories published in the years 2010 and 2011 shall be eligible to participate.
