AMWJU satges sit in
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, September 01 2018:
As a part of the Nationwide demonstration organized by journalist unions of the respective States under the aegis of Indian Journalists' Union (IJU) against the pressure and suppression of media by Central and State Governments, journalists in the State also staged a sit-in-protest at Keishampat Leimajam Leikai community hall today.
Several demands were been put forward during the sit-in protest which was organized by All Manipur Working Journalists' Union (AMWJU) under the common theme of the Nationwide protest demonstration "Freedom of Press must be protected by the Government" .
The demands included conversion of Press Council of India into a media council of India, introduction of pension scheme for journalists, implementation of Majithia Wage Board and safety and security of working journalists in all the States of India.
Speaking at the sideline of the protest, a veteran journalist decried that journalists working in India have been encountering a common appalling development across the country as they have been frequently attacked, both morally and sometimes physically leading to the death of multiple journalists in recent months, by unknown assailants for criticizing the Government and politicians.
It is most common to all journalists of the country, including Manipur that those who write or speak against the influential people and the Government are being targeted.
The Central Government and the Government in most of the States have been consistently trying to suppress the freedom of speech by proposing certain norms/rules and regulations that obstruct the duties of journalists, he said adding that this trend will only erode the democratic principles of the country.
He lamented that the scribes working in various States of India, particularly in the North East States are paid very low wages despite encountering all these dangerous circumstances and most media houses in the State have not implemented the Majithia Wage Board despite the Supreme Court's directive to do the same.