It was on the 12th of April 2014 that Eastern Panorama – The News Magazine of the North East celebrated yet another milestone in its journey of serving the people of the North East region of India. The month of April 2014 marked the completion of 22 years of uninterrupted publication of the magazine since its debut issue which came out in April 1992.

This milestone was marked through the organizing of the second edition of Eastern Panorama’s Achievers Awards which seeks to acknowledge the efforts of people who have made immense contributions in their respective fields and thereby impact the region in a positive way.

 

We can see that Eastern Panorama is very unbiased and it speaks about the facts, facts that we know, we see and hear about regarding the problems of the North East region.” Smti. Roshan Warjri

In this edition of the Awards, Eastern Panorama felicitated ten outstanding personalities and organizations for the commendable work they have done for the general uplift of the North East region and its people. These ten personalities and organizations include the Tetseo Sisters of Nagaland for their contribution to music, the State Bank of India for its corporate social responsibility, the Martin Luther Christian University for its success in providing quality education at affordable prices to the students of the region, Wansuk Myrthong for the mammoth achievement of being the first woman from Meghalaya to scale Mount Everest, Anshu Jamsenpa for her success in scaling Mount Everest numerous times, the GVK EMRI’s 108 service of Meghalaya for its success in saving lives in the State, Sumar Sing Sawian for the volume of work he has done in promoting the ethnic culture and tradition of the Khasi people of Meghalaya to the outside world, Utpal Baruah for his ability to capture the mesmerising beauty and quaint qualities of the North East region in photography, Shankar Lall Goenka for the social support that his Jeevan Ram Mungi Devi Goenka Public Charitable Trust has been able to provide to the underprivileged and Chandan Bora from Karbi Anglong who has been able to promote the spices of the region to the outside world.

“These achievements don’t happen because of some luck or miracle. They are a result of your hard work, spirit of innovation, creativity, entrepreneurship and the desire to do the best you can.” Dipannita Jaiswal

In an impressive function held at the State Convention Centre, Hotel Pine Wood, Shillong, the Chief Guest of the function Smti. Roshan Warjri, Minister i/c Home (Police and Jails) said, “We can see that Eastern Panorama is very unbiased and it speaks about the facts, facts that we know, we see and hear about regarding the problems of the North East region.” She added to this by saying, “It is a channel through which information about the North East is disseminated to other parts of the country.”

The Guest of Honour of the function Smti. Dipannita Jaiswal, Managing Director of the news channel DY365 said “Eastern Panorama, let me thank you, you have crossed the lane and reached the highway. Continue with your never ending, relentless journey of credible news.” Speaking about the achievements of the Awardees she added, “These achievements don’t happen because of some luck or miracle. They are a result of your hard work, spirit of innovation, creativity, entrepreneurship and the desire to do the best you can.”

The Key Note Speaker of the function professor Bhagirathi Panda of the department of Economics of the North Eastern Hill University touched on the subject of development and gave an insight on its peculiarities.

After receiving their award, the Mercy Tetseo of the Tetseo Sisters said, “We look at this as recognition of our efforts and not an achievement because we have been doing music for almost twenty years but everyday it seems like we just started and we really thank Eastern Panorama for this wonderful opportunity for us to have our moment and be acknowledged for all the hard work we have put in. Let this be an encouragement to all the musicians in the North East.” RG Lyngdoh, the Vice Chancellor of Martin Luther Christian University expressed his thanks to the team which is the star of the University while the University’s Dr. Glenn Kharkongor said, “We would like to thank Eastern Panorama for recognizing the hard work that the team – the faculty of MLCU has put in. In the last few years, it has been a wonderful journey and there are many challenges ahead. We are full of hope and we think we’re on the right track. Now we have a wonderful new leader and we’re looking forward to Bob (R.G Lyngdoh) taking us to greater heights from now.” An elated Shankar Lall Goenka said, “I thank Eastern Panorama for this award.

Our family is a very old family of Shillong and Shillong has given us everything. Our ancestors believed in giving back to society and their motherland. Our ancestors gave so much to Shillong – Ganesh Das Hospital is one of them and Jeevan Ram Goenka Hospital is another. I am pursuing the same policy which my ancestors did and I am happy to do it. I firmly believe that our future generations will also do the same.” Utpal Baruah of Guwahati’s UB Photos short speech summed up his sentiments when he said, “There were elections going on in Karbi Anglong when Mr. Jhunjhunwala called me up and I told him – Don’t worry, I am coming.” Speaking about the services rendered by the GVK EMRI Meghalaya, its State Head Mr. Dany Lyngdoh said, “We have attended to more than one lakh emergencies. Currently, at the rate of services we are providing, we attend to a call every 15 seconds and dispatch an ambulance every 22 minutes. This service works only with the participation of the citizens and the extremely good support of the Government. I would like to thank the people of Meghalaya for accepting this service and making it their own, the Government of Meghalaya for supporting us from all levels, right from the districts to the State level. Most of all, I would like to take a moment and thank my team for giving uninterrupted services for the last 5 years. It is difficult to work on weekends, holidays and the festive season and I would like to dedicate this award especially to them and their families.”

The official part of the Eastern Panorama Achievers Awards 2014 was followed by a performance by the Tetseo Sisters who enthralled the gathering with their blend of traditional and contemporary music. Another highlight of the event was a magic show by Shillong’s John Lanong.

"We are all gathered here asimportant participants in theprocess of development”

Professor Bhagirathi Panda

What is the most touching compliment you’ve ever received from a fan?

That our songs took them into another world - where they could envision green hills, blue skies and clear waters, happy childhood and beauty.

If there was one topic you would all agree to make a song on, what would it be?

Celebrating being a woman.

Mercy Tetseo The Tetseo Sisters is a group of sisters belonging to the Chakhesang Naga tribe. They sing their ‘Li’ (folksongs in Chokri, the dialect of the region around Phek in Nagaland. The Tetseo Sisters have been performing on stage for the last fifteen years individually and as a group in various parts of Nagaland, India and abroad.

The youth of today are drifting away from their native culture and traditions. What message would you like to give to the youth to highlight the importance of holding on to their indigenous culture?

While we are becoming very westernised, we also have greater opportunities to share the word about our unique culture and traditions. Culture adapts to time and we have to hold on to the things that define us while moving on to a better way of life. Now is a good time to rethink how we define ourselves and how we want to be known. We are what we believe we are and it is important not to forget where we come from in order to get to where we want to be.

The North East region is famous for its pristine natural beauty. Is there any scope of bringing this to the notice of Bollywood producers so that more movies can be shot here?

Yes! I believe the North East is beyond compare as far as beauty is concerned. The scenic locales and the lovely climate make it all the more feasible for shoots. The region must be promoted!

Are there any specific suggestions from your side regarding ways and means to go about this?

The Governments of all the eight northeastern States should put their heads together and work hand in hand to promote the region among the film fraternity across the nation. The regional media too must strive to rub off the ‘disturbed’ tag and focus more on the positives the region has to offer. Communication should be made even better, with direct and frequent flights from all big cities, especially Mumbai to Guwahati, the gateway to the North East. The numerous five star hotels coming up in the city is surely a positive sign and will go a long way in attracting tourists as well. Another small change, I believe, is needed. The traditional festivals here will become more colourful and attractive if the venues were made more people friendly and the VVIP culture would be a bit subdued. With so many tribes dotting the States, their colourful traditions too can be a USP of the North East.

Utal Baruah Utpal Baruah is an avid photographer and believes in having a positive approach to life. He has served as a photo correspondent for a number of reputed publications which include ‘The Asian Age’ and ‘Asian News International’. His venture UB Photos - a news photo agency and archive has developped into the largest multipurpose and best equipped service provider for print and audio - visual media across the world. The following are excerpts of an interview with him.

You run an institute on photography. Are there any plans of expanding this institute throughout the North East region?

We run an NGO UBP’s Centre for Alternative Vocation and have a photography institute where we train the youth in video editing in both still and video photography. We are actually looking to include more vocational courses as part of our expansion plans. We will be setting up centres across the region. We are striving to help dropouts and unemployed youth remain in the mainstream by helping them explore their talents. We are trying to build up a patriotic and skilled young generation.

From where do you draw your inspiration for your photographs?

Basically I photograph happenings. Whenever I hear of any incident which needs to be captured on camera, I get restless until I reach the spot and click enough photographs to my heart’s content. That restlessness is the inspiration. The sound of the shutter now becomes my heart beat.

With the number of North East people migrating to the metros of the country, what do you feel can be done to promote the diverse culture of the North East?

The students can be ambassadors of the North East wherever they go and study whether in the metros or other places of the country.

Sumar sing Sawian Sumar Sing Sawian is an expert on the culture of the Khasi tribe of Meghalaya. Widely published and highly acclaimed, he has penned countless books, articles and stories on the culture of the Khasis.

With the students nowadays being more attuned to the current trends, can they be given a briefing or training with regard to their culture and traditions which they can promote outside the region?

Yes, students nowadays need guidance in this regard especially at home from their parents and relatives and also in schools and even colleges so that they will have confidence once they go out.

What do you feel can be done so that these students hold on to their roots even as they are exposed to new cultures and ways of life in the metros?

The students have to discover themselves. Once they do so, they 

Chandan Borah

Chandan Borah is a rural entrepreneur based in Karbi Anglong and is the owner of the Karbi Anglong Agro Processing Industry, a firm at Japarajan, an interior village of the Karbi Anglong district. He started his business with practically zero capital in 2009 in spite of which his business has expanded by leaps and bounds since its inception. The Karbi Anglong Agro Processing Industry’s products include flavoured candies like ginger candy and pineapple candy, essential oils, dry ginger, cooking spices, drumstick vegetables, fresh fruits and King Chilli Powder, to name a few. His company has also been exporting three tonnes of Bhut Jolokia (Capsicum Chinese Jacquin) per month to the US, Europe, Australia and Japan. Mr. Borah’s firm is now well established in the business as a manufacturing and exporting firm for Indian spices and flexible packaging products and has a good market for their products across the country as well. Mr. Borah and his company are determined to ship out the best quality of spices from their industry.

Mr. Borah’s efforts to establish a rural industry for the benefit of farmers of the North East has paid off and his firm has engaged 1000 Bhut Jolokia farmers across Assam, Nagaland, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh and is now a well-known distributor of spices in the international market. His inspiring journey is encouraging for the youth of North East India who aspire to be entrepreneurs but do not have the technical know-how or resources to start a business. It is a reminder of the potential that the northeastern agricultural sector has and the employment that can be generated by such business ventures. Mr. Borah dared to venture into the unknown, gave his best effort and succeeded.

Martin Luther Christian University started its services to the people of the region from its first campus in Shillong on 22nd February, 2006.

MLCU aims at raising the standards of higher education in the North East region and nurture their students to become global citizens. What sets it apart from other universities is the paying of extra attention to the development of skills and enterprise among students along with  education on the need for moral values and a sense of stewardship towards the society. The students are also given opportunities to engage in activities related to disaster management, traditional medicines and HIV/AIDS awareness programmes.

MLCU has grown by leaps and bounds since its birth and now has campuses in Shillong, Tura, Nongtalang and Jowai in Meghalaya. Martin Luther Christian University is the first full-fledged Christian University in India and is affiliated to a number of institutions. MLCU emphasises on skills and experiential learnng and offers hands-on development projects for its students to acquire not only knowledge and skills but also the real-life expertise needed to pursue rewarding and fulfilling careers. In the seven years since its birth, the MLCU has made great strides in increasing accessibility to higher education among  students in Meghalaya and inculcating values and ethics that will help its students become active members of a progressive society. 

Born on the 3rd of December, 1935, Mr. Shankar Lall Goenka started managing his family’s cinema halls at an early age. His family went on to establish the first cinema hall in the North East namely Kelvin Cinema, Shillong in 1926 followed by Kelvin Cinema, Guwahati in 1932 and Bijou Cinema, Shillong in 1935. In 1966, Mr. Goenka established a modern state-of-the-art cinema in Shillong with the first 70mm theatre in the North East, named Anjalee Cinema.

He has made significant contributions to society and has garnered widespread admiration by dint of his concern for the underprivileged. His is actively involved in the construction of a school in Shillong on a piece of land measuring approximately one lakh square feet, donated by him and his family. Besides this, he also founded the ‘Jeevan Ram Mungi Devi Goenka Public Charitable Trust’ in memory of his late parents.  The Trust is involved in several socio-economic causes and has been granting a large number of scholarships to the needy and deserving students of Meghalaya and Assam for several years.

Mr. Shankar Lall Goenka was honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Academy Award in 2010. His extensive contributions towards charity also include conducting free eye treatment camps and donation of solar lanterns to villagers.  The Trust has also instituted an annual award called the ‘Life Time Achievement Award’ for cultural excellence for those associated with cinema in North East India. Mr. Goenka is one of the most selfless and compassionate entrepreneurs in the North East region and has used his large fortune in helping the underprivileged and bringing a positive change in society.

The Emergency 108 service established by GVK EMRI is the country’s leader in professional emergency response services. Currently serving over 700 million people throughout the nation, its main aim is to save lives in emergency situations, provide immediate first aid at community level, professional pre-hospital care in the ambulance and care continum in Casualty/Emergency Department.

GVK EMRI has organized many camps and seminars over the years including the first ever Continuing Medical Education (CME) for external participants from various institutes followed by the launch of a training centre at the GVK EMRI Office in Meghalaya and the start of the first ever external  training in the Meghalaya Office in October 2011. It has also participated in joint inspection of high accident prone areas, training of Government doctors and organised a workshop on ‘Integrated Communication for Disaster Management’.
 
The staff is well trained to handle any emergency situation and has displayed their expertise in a wide range of life and death situations.

People who have been assisted by the 108 Service are very appreciative and grateful to it.  The staff is equally happy to be saving lives and touching the lives of people around the State. Many of them have expressed their elation at witnessing very special moments while on the job, such as assistance in the delivery of babies. The ambulances are indeed ‘wheels of hope’ and as their popularity increases by the day, they find new challenges to take on. 

Born on the 14th of February, 1982, Wansuk Myrthong is the first woman from Meghalaya to conquer the 8848 ft. Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world. Ms. Myrthong started rock climbing through her participation in a camp organized by Meghalaya Rock Climbing and Mountaineering Association at the Lumparing locality of Shillong in 2004. An active and sports oriented lady who was interested in most sports activities since childhood; she was enlisted in the Meghalaya Police in 2006 as a woman constable. She underwent a basic mountaineering course at the Mountaineering and Skiing Institute, Indo-Tibetan Border Police at Auli in Uttarkhand and secured high grades there. She won the ‘Best Senior Climber’ award in the Women’s Open Category and bagged two Gold Medals and one Silver Medal out of three events during the finals held on October 1-3.2008.

Ms. Myrthong also participated in the Pre – Everest expedition on Kolahai Peak (5425 Meter) and also took part in the High Altitude Physical Conditioning to Mount Papsura (6451 Meter) in Himachal Pradesh organized by MMTA, Imphal. Her journey did not stop there and in 2013, this enthusiastic woman went on to participate in the 1st North East Mount Everest Expedition at Aizawl organized by the department of Sports and Youth Affairs, Government of Mizoram.

On the 18th of May 2013 at 8:30 AM, she along with 16 other climbers of the first Northeast India Top of the World Mount Everest Expedition, 2013 flagged off by President Pranab Mukherjee from Rashtrapati Bhavan on March 20 conquered the highest mountain in the world.

Anshu Jamsenpa

Anshu Jamsenpa is a mother of two and belongs to the Monpa community of the Bomdila area of Arunachal Pradesh. She first scaled Mt. Everest on the 12th of May, 2011 and, repeated this amazing feat by doing so yet again on the 21th of May, 2011, making her the first mother of two to climb the peak twice within a span of ten days.
 
Anshu Jamsenpa is also one of the brand ambassadors of the ‘Clean India Campaign 2012-2013’. She has also been nominated to be the brand ambassador of North East Tourism.

Mrs. Jansempa always being ready for new challenges was not satisfied with this feat and created a record by climbing the highest mountain in the world for the third time on 18th May, 2013, becoming the first woman in the world to climb Mt. Everest thrice.
She is currently part of yet another expedition to scale Mt. Everest, an expedition which was flagged off on the 7th of April 2014. As such she was unable to attend the Achievers Awards 2014.

State Bank of India (SBI) is a multinational banking and financial services company based in India. It is a state-owned corporation with its headquarters in Mumbai, Maharastra. As on December 2012, it has assets of US$501 billion and 15003 branches, including 157 foreign offices making it the largest banking and financial services company in India by way of assets. SBI provides a range of banking products through its network of branches in India and overseas, including products aimed at Non- Resident Indians (NRIs). SBI has 14 regional hubs and 57 Zonal Offices that are located at important cities throughout India. SBI is a banking behemoth and has 20% market share in deposits and loans among Indian commercial banks.

SBI has allocated Rs.6.6 crore under corporate social responsibility as its commitment to reach out to the poor and needy people of the region. It also extended aid of `20 lakh on 21 October 2013 to RK Mission Hospital (RKMH) for purchasing diagnostic equipment for enhancing the diagnostic facilities of the hospital.

SBI has helped people of the North East in many ways including donation of a school bus to Ramakrishna Mission School at Narottam Nagar, Arunachal Pradesh. SBI has also initiated the Tribal Plus Scheme, a special Housing finance scheme for Hill/ Tribal areas including North East India extending immense help to the tribals of this region and providing them easy banking facilities which are tailor-made for their convenience.

The State Bank of India has also contributed immensely to the social sector. It donated Rs.2 crore to the Chief Minister’s relief fund during the 2012 Assam floods. One of the most honest, transparent and ethical banks in the world, SBI has stood strong and tall through every adversity it has encountered. In the North East region, SBI Corporate Debt Restructuring (CDR) is the highest among all national banks and is also ahead in extending rural credit and credit to small and medium enterprises.