After 5 days of protest, scripts resume duty; Newspaper hits stands once more
Source: IT News

Imphal, February 19 2021: Print media and the private owned electronic news channel once more resume publication and broadcasting after scripts which had cease work protesting bomb threat to Poknapham Daily office on February 13 resumed their duty today.

An emergency general body meeting of the All Manipur Working Journalists Union (AMWJU) and the Editors' Guild Manipur (EGM) held yesterday evening had resolved to resume duty even as both the journalists' fraternity upheld the condemnation to such drastic and barbaric attack to media house by continuing the demand for arrest and punishment of the person who hurled a hand grenade at Poknapham daily office located at Keishampat Thiyam Leikai.

On the ninth day of the ongoing 12th session of the 11th Manipur Legislative Assembly,the matter about non publication of newspaper and black out of private electronic media was brought to the attention of the ongoing Manipur Legislative Assembly by opposition MLA Kh Joykishan as a calling attention motion.

Chief Minister N Biren Singh who is also in charge of state Home Department taking the matter seriously assured the house to arrest the culprit who hurled hand grenade at media house.

After 5 days of protest, scripts resume duty

Chief Minister N.Biren Singh informed the House that four member Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by Superintendent of Police, Imphal West has been constituted to probe into the grenade attack at the office of local vernacular daily newspaper Poknapham and its sister publication The People's Chronicle at Keishampat on 13th of this month.

Chief Minister, also in-charge of Home Department was replying to the Calling Attention motion.

Strongly condemning the cowardly attacks upon the media, the fourth pillar of democracy, N.Biren Singh gave assurance to nab the culprits involved in the incident at the earliest and informed that FIR has been already lodged regarding this incident.

He also stated that steps have been taken up by the Government to deploy security personnel at the office of media houses.

N Biren Singh also fervently appealed to all the media houses and all the media professionals in the State to resume its service in public interest as media plays an important role in dissemination of important news and information to the general public at all times.

None of the armed group or any individual have clarify the reason behind the lobbing of the hand grenade that was sealed with tape not to explode.

Some armed group including PREPAK, PREPAK (PRO), RPF, UNLF among others had given clarification through writings and verbally, saying that their organization are not involved.

Editor of the Poknapham daily, A Robindro Sharma had stated that he had no problem in connection with the reporting of news with any of the organizations or individuals.

Managing Editor of the same daily who is also the son of the proprietor of the newspaper also said that no threat or intimidation has been received from any group to the Poknaham daily or to its sister publication - the Peoples' Chronicle.

Both members of the EGM and the AMWJU assumed the bomb threat to the office of the Poknapham daily as threat to all media community of the state.

Indian Journalists' Union (IJU) , Hill Journalist Union , Jiribam Journalist Union, Kakching District Jouralist Association, Journalists of Bishempur, Churahandpur and Ukhrul district also condemn the bomb threat to media house.

Rajya Sabha MP Leishemba Sanajaoba and IPR Minister Th.Bishwajit also expressed strong condemnation to media house in addition to the condemnation by all legislators of the Manipur during the ongoing budget session of the ongoing state assembly session.

Expressing strong condemnation to the media fraternity, representatives of the United Committee Manipur, COCOMI and IPSA also joined the sit-in-protest by the Journalists at Keishampat Leimajam Leikai community hall.

Meira Paibis of keishampat Thiyam Leikai also staged sit-in-protest at Keishampat showing solidarity to the demand of the Journalists fraternity of Manipur.

Acting Chairperson of the Manipur Human Rights Commission , Khaidem Mani also joined the Journalists during on the first day of protest (Feb 14) .

While condemning the barbaric act of the miscreants threatening the media persons by lobbying bomb, Khaidem Mani also condemn the decision of the journalist to stop publication of newspaper.

"Stopping publication of newspaper or telecasting of news at local cable TV is serious violation of the Right to Information of the people of the state", the MHRC acting chairman said adding that protest against wrongdoers is also the rights of any organization or citizens or journalists , but the kind of protest should not mingle with the rights of common people.

Editor's not in connection with the emergency meeting of Feb 13 .

May be it was a wrong decision for us all in the media fraternity to stop publication of newspapers after the bomb threat to the office of the Poknapham Daily newspaper on the evening of February 13 .

But it would be definitely wrong to assume that it was a hasty decision made out of fear.

The All Manipur Working Journalists' Union (AMWJU) and the Editors' Guild of Manipur (EGM) minutely deliberated that the threat to media house with Bomb in the hurriedly convened meeting.

Each and everyone of us condemn such cowardly act.

Almost all editors and members of the AMWJU present on the hurriedly convened meeting while expressing their opinion of continuing the publication by daring the threat, some among us felt it as breach to the unity of the journalists' fraternity, as it would be certainly inconvenience for Poknapham daily as well as its sister publication The Peoples' Chronicle which works from the same office building.

Stop for the day and protest against such heinous act was left as the only unanimous decision.

Journalists working in the state of Manipur, which is a conflict zone can only serve the people without any bias as long as there is unity.

And to show those attackers the ultimate decision adopted by the General body meeting was show them that "we" are still united and will stand united in the future too.

By staging protest, and stopping publication of newspapers and also broadcasting of private run electronic media news channel for five days, we have sent our message.

We will continue with our service by daring your bullets with our pen.