New Delhi: Scroll journalist Rokibuz Zaman has been honored with the prestigious 2024 Vishwa Nath-Delhi Press Award for Fearless Journalism for his unwavering coverage of the state of minorities in Assam.
The jury praised Zaman for his “consistent and steadfast” reporting, stating that he has shown “exemplary courage in relentlessly pursuing stories to their logical conclusion, despite challenges on the ground.” His investigative journalism has shed light on the systemic discrimination against minorities in Assam, particularly regarding land rights and forced evictions.
Zaman’s reports have exposed the exclusion of minorities from rural landless schemes and the eviction of Muslim families from railway land in Assam’s Morigaon district. The jury commended his “exceptional courage in speaking truth to power” and his commitment to ethical journalism.
The award, instituted by The Media Foundation in memory of Delhi Press founder Vishwa Nath, aims to uphold freedom of speech and journalistic integrity. The foundation also awarded the 2024 Kamla Mankekar Award for Journalism on Gender to BehanBox’s Priyanka Tupe and the Chameli Devi Jain Award for Outstanding Woman Mediaperson to The Caravan’s Jatinder Kaur Tur.
