joseph joute
File image of Joseph Joute

Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh on Tuesday condoled the demise of senior journalist Joseph Joute from Manipurโ€™s Churachandpur district who passed away at a hospital in Imphal on June 28 last.

Joseph was 50 years old and survived by wife and three children.

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In a condolence message on Tuesday, Biren said, โ€œIโ€™m shocked and deeply aggrieved to learn about the sad demise of senior journalist Joseph Joute, co-editor of of Hmasawnna Thar, a daily newspaper in Hmar dialect on June 28 after a brief illness.โ€

Besides being a former contributor of Delhi based North East SUN magazine and correspondent of Press Trust of India and many Imphal based newspapers from Churachandpur, Joseph also works as a joint editor of the then Shan, a popular Hmar vernacular in Churachandpur before editing and publishing his own Hmar daily The Churachandpur Times (2002-06).

representatives of manipur journalists bodies handing over monetary help to bereaved family
Representatives of Manipur journalistsโ€™ bodies handing over monetary help to bereaved family of Joseph Joute on July 2, 2019. Image: Northeast Now

During his social activities, Joseph took up many ways to reduce extreme poverty, injustice, gender disparity through his ventures M/s Tribal Enterprise and the Bible Hill Youth Club.

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Stating that on his demise, the State has lost a sincere journalist, the chief minister said Joseph Joute was an immense inspiration for many budding journalists and youth.

โ€œOn his demise, weโ€™ve lost a sincere journalist and a good human being,โ€ he said.

โ€œI convey my deepest condolence and share grief with the bereaved family,โ€ Biren further added.

All Manipur Working Journalistsโ€™ Union in association with Manipur Hill Journalistsโ€™ Union members also handed over monetary help to the bereaved family of the late senior journalist at Churachandpur town on Tuesday.

The members of the journalistsโ€™ community also observed two minutes silence in honour of the departed soul, according to a press release.

Sobhapati Samom is Northeast Now Correspondent in Imphal. He can be reached at: [email protected]