Bhanu Prakash Chandra, a photojournalist at The Week, won the International Press Institute India Award for Excellence in Journalism on Saturday.
Chandra received the award for his photo essay titled “Sunflower Fields and No Man’s Land”, which documented his experiences on the battlefront of the war in Ukraine.
Russia began its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, triggering the deadliest conflict in Europe since the Second World War.
The award, instituted in 2003, includes a trophy, citation and cash prize of Rs 1 lakh. The jury was headed by former Supreme Court judge Madan B Lokur.
The press institute also said that the jury was unable to select a winner in the print/digital and broadcast categories. However, it said that the panel decided to award five entries cash prizes and citations for “covering different angles of the strife in Manipur”.
The honour was given to Arunabh Saikia and Tora Agarwala from Scroll, Vijaita Singh from The Hindu, Greeshma Kuthar from The Caravan, Ashutosh Mishra from India Today, and The Print.
The press institute said that the decision was taken as a “mark of appreciation and acknowledgement of the media’s efforts to bring out the various facets of the human tragedy caused by the civil strife” in the state.
Since May 3, 2023, at least 258 persons have been killed and more than 59,000 persons displaced due to clashes between the Meiteis and Kuki-Zo-Hmars communities in Manipur.
The International Press Institute, based in Vienna, is a global organisation dedicated to the promotion and protection of press freedom and the improvement of journalism practices. Its India chapter comprises editors, publishers and senior executives of newspapers, magazines and news agencies.
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