Lovlina, Covid warriors, agri-entrepreneurs among Assam’s highest civilian award winners

This is the first time the Assam government has introduced a new set of civilian awards on the lines of the Padma awards; Ratan Tata will be conferred the highest honour-- Assam Baibhav later.

Updated on: Jan 24, 2022, 19:15:09 IST

By Utpal Parashar

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Tokyo Olympics medallist Lovlina Borgohain, Covid-19 warriors and agri-entrepreneurs were among the 17 distinguished personalities presented with Assam’s highest civilian honour on Monday.

Assam Governor Jagdish Mukhi (11th from left) and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma (12th from left) with the Assam Saurav and Assam Gaurav award winners in Guwahati on Monday. (TWITTER/@Himanta Biswa Sarma.)

Governor Jagdish Mukhi handed over the awards at a ceremony held at Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra in Guwahati. This is the first time the Assam government has introduced a new set of civilian awards on the lines of the Padma awards.

Industrialist Ratan Tata, who was named for the highest honour- Assam Baibhav-and distinguished management guru Dipak Chand Jain, (named for Assam Saurav-the second highest honour) who couldn’t attend the event would be conferred their awards later.

“It’s a big day today. The state’s highest civilian awards will be bestowed on individuals, mostly from grassroots and selected through citizen-centric process, for their distinguished service to society. I hope the recognition inspires others to the cause of building a New Assam,” Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted.

Besides Lovlina and Jain, distinguished educationist and scientist Kamalendu Deb Krori, bureaucrat Dr. S Lakshmanan and renowned artist Neel Pawan Baruah were conferred with the Assam Saurav awards.

Along with a citation and a medal, the awards-- Assam Baibhav, Assam Saurav and Assam Gaurav-- carry a cash component of ₹5 lakh, ₹4 lakh and ₹3 lakh respectively.

Those who received the Assam Gaurav awards were Munindra Nath Ngatey, Dr. Basanta Hazarika, Akash Jyoti Gogoi, Manoj Basumatary, Khorsing Terang, Boby Hazarika, Hemoprabha Chutia, Namita Kalita, Barmita Momin, Dharanidhar Boro, Kaushik Boruah, Kalpana Boro and Dr Asif Iqbal.

The first set of awards honoured several of the state’s Covid-19 warriors. They included Dr. Lakshmanan and Ngatey, bureaucrats who played key roles in executing Covid-19 measures and mass vaccination and Dr Hazarika, who was key in preparing and executing Covid-19 protocols and managed nearly 3,000 critical Covid-19 patients in Guwahati Medical College Hospital.

Namita Kalita, an auxiliary nurse midwife (ANM) who has administered nearly 100,000 Covid-19 vaccine doses and Barmita Momin, an accredited social health activist (ASHA) who ensured 100% Covid-19 vaccination in a village that had earlier forced her to pay a fine as punishment for taking the vaccine were other Covid-19 warriors who were honoured.

Manoj Bausmatary, who set up an eco-system for piggery as an industry in Assam, Kaushik Baruah, who is responsible for starting export of fruits and vegetables produced in the state to Dubai and European markets and Akash Jyoti Gogoi, who established one of Northeast’s biggest egg production unit were the agri-entrepreneurs conferred with the Assam Gaurav award.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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