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A
geologist-turned-journalist, Ashok
Chatterjee, was posted in Sikkim by a
Calcutta based National Newspaper, The
Telegraph. In May 1997, he and his wife came
to Gangtok, capital of Sikkim, for the first
time. Both of them liked the idea of staying
and working in this Himalayan State. Mrs.
Chatterjee saw much similarity of Sikkim
with Shillong, capital of Meghalaya, another
Northeastern State of India, where she lived
a happy childhood. Mr. Chatterjee’s earlier
experience of working as a geologist in the
hills and mountains of India and USA
instinctively attracted him to the
geological setting of Sikkim.
After working fifteen years with The
Telegraph, Mr. Chatterjee was invited by
local newspapers one after another to work
as Editor. So he did from the year 2000
onwards. His experience of journalism in
West Bengal since 1979 counted in Sikkim. As
an accredited journalist of Sikkim, he was
required to do a pro-active role for the
growth of media in the State, which is
satisfying for him.
He perceived a rising trend of media, both
print and electronic, after democracy took
roots here in 1975, when an erstwhile
secluded kingdom, Sikkim, ruled by a Chogyal
(monarch) transited into the 22nd State of
democratic India. He also observed a nascent
democracy evolving into a liberal democracy,
promising freedom for Press, during the rule
of Dr. Pawan Chamling, Chief Minister,
heading Sikkim Democratic Front government
of the State since 1994.
The Press Club of Sikkim felicitated Mr.
Chatterjee with “Kanchendzonga Kalam
Puraskar, 2007”, in recognition of his
“contribution” as a working journalist in
the State.
Since August 2007, Mr. Chatterjee is editing
and publishing Sikkim Reporter, which is the
daily edition of Northeastern Weekend
Review, a weekly tabloid he owned and edited
for about three years. Weekend Review is now
merged with Sikkim Reporter and published in
the last page of the daily every Friday.
Sikkim Reporter team contains some local
youth, who are hard working and interested
in skill development under the Editor’s
guidance. Besides, worthy contributors from
within the country and abroad are helping in
value addition to the newspaper. Feedback is
regularly obtained from the readers and well
wishers for continuous evaluation of the
publication and its development.
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