The issue of Dispassionate Observer for this month has been delayed by some unavoidable circumstances. However, as it has been the case last month, the blog refuses to die down amidst all the overbearing work engagements which is making it difficult to maintain a healthy issue period from the first to the end of a month. This problem hopefully will not persist from December as things will be more streamlined.
Till now the blog has tried to focus on national and international news, thought pieces and observations on media and society. There has been no dearth of ideas with a range of topics already in discussion. One of the important goals of Dispassionate Observer has been to provide a platform to budding journalism and mass communication students in colleges and universities. Their contributions have always been given priority. The healthy mix of views from the experts and the students of the trade has made Dispassionate Observer stronger. Now the blog wishes to explore a more challenging zone. It envisages to include research oriented papers and commentaries on television, globalisation and media, new media and its prospects and the problems that are plaguing media in the present century. This is being done with the intent to facilitate and empower media studies.
As we move into the November issue of Dispassionate Observer there is a sense of loss. We were yet to cope up with the death of Ghazal legend, Jagjit Singh when the news of another sad demise flew in. Bhupen Hazarika, Bard of Brahmaputra, one of the brightest musical talents of the country died of a multi organ failure on 5th of this month at the age of 85. This is a huge loss for the nation as this multifaceted genius used folk music of Assam as an instrument of social change. We pay our tributes to this great soul with the words of another living music legend, Lata Mangeshkar: "There will never be another Bhupen Hazarika".
