Apatani Students Union organises Taro Chatung Memorial Students’ Meet
ZIRO, 21 Aug: “Legendary journalist of Arunachal Pradesh, late Taro Chatung, still continues to inspire and remains a role model to young upcoming journalists,” said Agriculture Minister Tage Taki, addressing the gathering during the first edition of the Taro Chatung Memorial Students’ Meet here in Lower Subansiri district on Monday.
Saying that Chatung was “well ahead of his time” and had brought about “a revolution in the fields of electronic media and local filmmaking in the early ’90s,” the minister said that Chatung’s inimitable style of news reporting, which started an instant bonding with the public, was the reason for the growth and popularity of electronic media in the state during its nascent period in the early ’90s.
Commending the Apatani Students’ Union (ASU) for organising the event, Taki advised budding journalists to “imbibe his (Chatung’s) qualities of simplicity, generosity and striking an instant chord with the masses to be successful in your chosed field of media.”
Deputy Commissioner Bamin Nime recalled Chatung as a “daring path-breaker in the field of media who inspired many talented young students to take up journalism as their career, thereby creating self-employments for themselves rather than hankering after white-collared jobs.”
Arunachal Press Club (APC) Vice President Bengia Ajum said that “late Taro Chatung still continues to live in the hearts of the press fraternity of the state for his yeomen contributions in the field of journalism.”
Expressing gratefulness to the ASU for organising the meet, Ajum said that “the entire press fraternity is grateful to ASU for organising the meet in memory of the pioneer journalist of the state.”
“In fact, the APC was contemplating organising such a meet in memory of our beloved late Chatung, but we are glad that the ASU has come up with the event,” said Ajum, and informed that the APC annually gives away the ‘Taro Chatung Excellence Award’ in the field of electronic journalism.
On behalf of late Chatung’s family, Taro Tagia informed that Chatung had done his schooling from the government higher secondary school, Ziro; graduation from Dera Natung Government College, Itanagar; and had qualified as a circle officer after passing the APPSC examination.
“He had conceived the ‘News and Views’ electronic news channel in the early ’90s; been a film director; and founded the Taro Opey Foundation,” Tagia informed.
ASU president Koj Nichi and its general secretary Pura Nado also spoke.
Students of 26 educational institutes in the district are participating in the weeklong meet, which will feature various literary, cultural, and sports events.
Marathons for boys and girls were organised earlier in the morning. Takhe Yasa, Tayor Rina and Tayo Santi were awarded the first, second and third prize, respectively, in the girls’ category, while in the boys’ category Millo Tani, Bullo Hakhe and Padu Nado were awarded the first, second and third prize, respectively.
HoDs, ZPMs, members of the Tani Supun Dukun and the Apatani Women Association Ziro, and family members and well-wishers also attended the programme. (DIPRO)
