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बेबी शिरीन

बेबी शिरीन

Reporter, Imphal, Manipur

babiecha17@gmail.com

I am a senior journalist and field reporter based in Imphal, Manipur, currently serving as a Correspondent (District Reporter) with India Today. Over the past decade, I have built my career on rigorous, ground-based reporting from one of India's most sensitive and complex regions. My work spans conflict reporting, crime against women and children, human rights, legal affairs, environmental issues, and counter-insurgency operations, with a strong commitment to bringing underreported stories from Manipur to national and international audiences.

Before joining India Today, I worked for five years as a Senior Reporter with Imphal Free Press (IFP), where I specialized in legal journalism and investigative reporting, focusing particularly on crimes against women, the justice system, and human rights. Prior to that, I spent five years as a reporter with Ichel Express, a leading Manipuri-language daily newspaper, where I developed extensive experience in grassroots and community reporting.

The outbreak of ethnic violence in Manipur in 2023 marked a significant shift in my reporting. Since then, I have been extensively covering the conflict, documenting counter-insurgency operations, militant activities, displacement, humanitarian crises, and the everyday realities faced by communities across both the hill and valley districts. My reporting has sought to provide accurate, balanced, and on-the-ground coverage of one of India's longest-running and most challenging internal conflicts.

My professional work has been recognized through several fellowships and honours. In 2017, I was selected for the Defence Correspondent Course (DCC) conducted by the Indian Army, providing specialized training in defence and security reporting. In 2021, I received the Lone Muslim Woman Journalist Award from the Department of Social Welfare, Government of Manipur, in recognition of my contribution to journalism.

I was awarded the Manipur State Level Media Fellowship (2018–2019) under the Woman Journalist category to research the impact of climate change in the region. In 2019, I also received the Khelen Thokchom Media Fellowship, during which I investigated Manipur's growing water scarcity and the degradation of its spring ecosystems, highlighting the state's emerging environmental challenges.

Working in a politically sensitive and conflict-affected region has also presented significant professional challenges. In 2020, my publisher and I were briefly arrested and faced legal proceedings following the publication of a report on a political performance. The incident drew national and international attention and was documented by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) as a case highlighting concerns over press freedom in India. Despite these challenges, I remain committed to independent, ethical, and public-interest journalism.

I hold a Master of Arts in Mass Communication (2014) from Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University, Uttarakhand. I earned my Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, Psychology, and English from Alva's College, affiliated with Mangalore University, Karnataka.

Throughout my career, I have remained dedicated to documenting the realities of conflict, social injustice, gender-based violence, environmental change, and governance. My work is driven by the belief that journalism should amplify marginalized voices, hold institutions accountable, and ensure that the stories of Manipur reach audiences far beyond the region.

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