Kishorchandra detention : SSUM comes out strong against State Government, AMWJU president
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, December 22 2018:
Socialist Students' Union of Manipur came out strong today against BJP led State Government for detaining former employee of ISTV, Wangkhemcha Kishorchandra under National Security Act (NSA) .
Showing its strong support for Kishorchandr and demanding his unconditional release, the union said that it will be organising signature campaign and other democratic form of agitation against the detention.
Alleging the State Government of misusing its power by detaining and silencing voices against it under NSA, SSUM said the case is a clear example of weeding out the principle of democracy.
The union in its statement today points its finger at the All Manipur Working Journalists' Union (AMWJU) and decried the journalist union's president for an alleged letter he sent to the Indian Journalists' Union asking it "not to release any press statement regarding the detention of Kishorchandra" .
The president of the AMWJU reportedly in its letter alleged that many CSOs, women organisations and even the proscribed outfits in Manipur "have not deemed it fit and necessary to raise their voice in relation to the arrest and subsequent detention of Kishorchandra under NSA" .
SSUM said that the alleged letter of the president of the AMWJU has not only tarnished the image of the journalists in Manipur, but also has damaged the belief, the people of the State have on the journalists as protectors and guardian of voices and the voiceless.
To demonstrate its condemnation and rejection of the letter AMWJU president had allegedly sent to IJU, SSUM said that it is organising sit-in protests.
"One man can not drag down the whole of the journalists community," SSUM said mentioning the sacrifices the journalists of the State have made and dedication they have in their work.