IMPACT TV journalist Elangbam Ojitkumar received the 23rd R.K. Sanatomba Memorial Journalist Award for his rural education reporting at a function in Imphal.
Imphal, June 30: IMPACT TV journalist Elangbam Ojitkumar (Mushuk) was conferred the 23rd R.K. Sanatomba Memorial Journalist Award on Tuesday in recognition of his rural reporting during 2025, with a particular focus on the shortage of teachers and inadequate infrastructure in government schools across Manipur.
The award was presented during a function organised by the R.K. Sanatomba Memorial Trust at the JNMDA Auditorium in Imphal. The event also featured the release of Kangla Lanpung (Volume XVII, Issue I) and the annual R.K. Sanatomba Memorial Lecture.
The award carries a citation and a cash prize of Rs. 25,000. The function was attended by A. Brajakumar Sharma as the chief guest.
This year's memorial lecture was delivered by Shri Thangjam Brojen, former Security Advisor to the United Nations, on the topic "Conflict and Insecurity: Militarisation and the Crisis of Security in Manipur."
The newly released edition of Kangla Lanpung features articles by 13 scholars, including contributors from outside India, according to the organisers.
The memorial award commemorates R.K. Sanatomba Singh, popularly known as Konung Sanatomba, who was born on June 11, 1963 to M.K. Khedasana Singh and Mangi Shija. He completed his schooling at Diamond Club KG School and RDS High School before graduating from MB College and later earning a Master's degree in Economics from Manipur University.
Apart from academics, Sanatomba was known for his interest in sports and social work. A black belt in Taekwondo, he was among the founders of the Eastern Tae Kwon Do School, which has produced several national and international athletes. He was also a founding member of the Konung Leikai Youth Development Club, where he served as vice president.
Sanatomba later became the General Secretary of the Manipur National Federation, a social organisation that advocated for the territorial integrity of the state. During his tenure, the organisation undertook the Barak Expedition to understand the concerns of people living in the hill districts. He also edited Kangla Lanpung, a journal dedicated to issues affecting Manipur.
His life was cut short in an incident on June 30, 1993. In his memory, family members and friends established the R.K. Sanatomba Memorial Trust, which instituted the R.K. Sanatomba Memorial Journalist Award in 2004. Since then, the award has been presented annually to journalists recognised for outstanding field reporting while the trust has continued publishing Kangla Lanpung.
With this year's honour, Elangbam Ojitkumar joins a list of previous recipients that includes journalists from leading media organisations in Manipur such as Imphal Free Press, The Sangai Express, Hueiyen Lanpao, Poknapham, People's Chronicle, TOM TV, and IMPACT TV.
