Women scribes from J

New Delhi, Dec 8: Three women journalists from Jammu and Kashmirwere conferred upon the Sanjoy Ghose Media Fellowship for the year2006-07 for highlighting problems of women in the insurgency-hit region.

Afsana Rashid, Kavita Suri and Pratika Gupta were conferred uponthe Fellowships here last evening, which comprises Rs 12000 and acitation.

Charkha Development Communication Network, which instituted thefellowships, also honoured five others with Humanitarian Award forwriting on community development and helping in relief efforts for thevictims of the last year's devastating earthquake in the region.

'Charkha' president Shankar Ghose presented the awards in thepresence of media personalities and social actvists, including MarkTully, Mrs Usha Rai and Mohammed Sayeed Malik, former Editor of theBusiness Observer, Ms Syeda Afsana of the Kashmir University, SheikhManzoor Ahmed of the UNI-Urdu Service and Mr Arvind Mohan of DainikHindustan.

Ms Afsana Rashid was awarded in both categories - Fellowship andHumanitarian Award. She is presently affiliated to the Kashmir Timesand had contributed over 100 articles on various issues and topics.

Besides Afsana Rashid others selected for the Huamantarian Awardsare -- Mir Ehsan of the Indian Express, Dinesh Manmohtra of DailyExcelsior, Jehangir Rashid Malik of the Kashmir Times and SamranaFarooq. Each of them got a cheque for Rs 5,000 and a citation.

The awards commemorated the birthday of Charkha's founder Sanjoy Ghose.

The fellowship for the women journalist was to encourage writings by women on the impact of violence on women and children.

A short film on Charkha's efforts to extend assistance to earthquake victims was screened on this occasion.

UNI