Scroll’s Rokibuz Zaman on Friday won the 2024 Vishwa Nath-Delhi Press Award for Fearless Journalism for his reportage of the state of minorities in Assam.

The jury said that Zaman had “shown exemplary courage and fearlessness in relentlessly pursuing a story to its logical conclusion” despite challenges on the ground.

Zaman had been “consistent and steadfast in his coverage” of the state of minorities in Assam, the jury said, adding that he had “tackled complex and sensitive issues with a level of ethics and integrity that is impressive”.

Read Rokibuz Zaman’s reportage here.

In its citation for the award, the jury said that Zaman was being honoured for his “unwavering commitment to the core principles of investigative journalism: fairness, fearlessness and the pursuit of truth”, and for his “exceptional courage in speaking truth to power”.

Zaman’s investigative stories “go into the heart of the state’s systemic attempt to not only discriminate against the minority population but also to dispossess them”, the jury said.

It added: “His detailed reports on the way the minorities are being excluded from the schemes for the rural landless and the discrimination meted out to those evicted from railway lands in Assam’s Morigaon district, are a testament to his commitment to uncover important truths in the face of a state hostile to such exposés.”

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The award was instituted by The Media Foundation in memory of Vishwa Nath, the founder of Delhi Press.

The foundation was set up in 1979 following the Emergency to uphold freedom of speech, expression and information and to enhance quality of life through media and communication.

On Friday, the foundation gave the 2024 Kamla Mankekar Award for Journalism on Gender to BehanBox’s Priyanka Tupe. The Caravan’s Jatinder Kaur Tur won the 2024 Chameli Devi Jain Award for Outstanding Woman Mediaperson.

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