Condemning the burning of press materials, including newsprint, by unknown miscreants in Kangpoki on Wednesday, the All Manipur Working Journalists’ Union (AMWJU) and Editors Guild, Manipur (EGM) have announced a cease work on Friday in protest against the same.
A joint release by AMWJU and EGM said that all print media establishments will cease work and broadcast media on Friday.
The move was taken during an emergency meeting convened by the two media bodies at Loktak Hall in Manipur Press Club, it stated.
It condemned in the strongest terms the incident and asserted that the state government, Security Advisor and DGP must bear all responsibilities for the same. It pointed out that a large number of printing materials were being transported from Guwahati to Imphal.
Ever since the conflict broke out in the state, AMWJU and EGM have been making fervent appeals to those concerned to ensure no obstruction in transportation of press materials, it noted.
It lamented that, however, incidents of unknown miscreants extorting money from trucks carrying printing materials and threatening the transporters continue to persist along the National Highways, Imphal to Jiribam and Imphal to Dimapur. The state government must bear the responsibility of providing befitting compensation for the loss, it asserted.
It also pointed out that the route passing through Senapati and Kangpokpi along Imphal-Dimapur road and the route along Tamenglong and Noney district passing through Imphal-Jiribam road are under the jurisdiction of IGAR-E.
Expressing discontentment over the alleged failure of IGAR-E to effectively monitor activities along the National Highways, the two apex media bodies of the state demanded to deploy the Red Shield Division of the Army or IGAR-S in place of IGAR-E.
It further urged all the journalists, hawkers, staff of printing units and media persons of the state to take part in the protest to be held at 10 am at the Manipur Press Club in Imphal on Friday.
