Scribes boycott Governor's swearing in ceremony
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, July 29 2013:
A joint meeting of All Manipur Working Journalists' Union (AMWJU) and Editors of local dailies has resolved to boycott the publication of Governor Dr Ashwani Kumar's swearing in ceremony held at Raj Bhavan here today.
The resolution came after media persons were not allowed to cover the swearing in ceremony of the new Governor by CRPF personnel posted at Raj Bhavan.
Media persons arrived at Raj Bhavan Gate prior to the beginning of the ceremony.
However, the CRPF personnel manning the Raj Bhavan did not allow entry of media persons as their names were not mentioned in the list.
The media persons even produced invitation cards of the ceremony, but still the CRPF personnel did not allow entry saying that they were not the Editors.
While the matter was being informed to AMWJU, some media persons left Raj Bhavan while others remained.
Later, some officials from inside Raj Bhavan instructed the CRPF personnel to allow the remaining media persons to attend the swearing in ceremony.
But by that time the ceremony was almost over.
In a statement, All Manipur Working Journalists' Union (AMWJU) has termed the incident as very "undemocratic and undignified".
The media persons had gone to cover the swearing in ceremony at the invitation of Chief Secretary of Manipur.
The highhanded behaviour of CRPF personnel towards media persons is also a matter of humiliation to the State authorities.
Similar incidents had happened in the past.
Such incidents show lack of coordination among the organizers of high level state functions.
The journalists' fraternity takes the incident of banning media persons at the swearing in ceremony of the democratic head of the State with utmost seriousness, AMWJU said.
Meanwhile, a meeting of the AMWJU which was held today seriously condemned the incident of not allowing media persons who are dubbed as "fourth pillar of democracy" in the swearing in ceremony of the new Governor of Manipur Dr Ashwani Kumar by the CRPF personnel posted at Raj Bhavan.