Scribes to cease work today
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, August 08 2024: Strongly condemning the torching of press materials including newsprints, which were being transported from Guwahati to Imphal, by unidentified persons in an area under Kangpokpi district on Wednesday, All Manipur Working Journalists' Union (AMWJU) and Editors' Guild, Manipur (EGM) have decided to stop publishing and broadcasting news on Friday.

On Thursday, an emergency meeting of AMWJU and EGM was held at the Loktak Hall of Manipur Press Club, here, wherein the act of arson was strongly condemned.

A unanimous decision was also adopt to cease work on Friday and staged protest.

In a joint statement, the scribe bodies asserted that the state government, security advisor and DGP Manipur should own responsibility for the arson act, as both AMWJU and EGM had been urging against any obstruction to transportation of press materials and for ensuring foolproof security measures ever since the conflict broke out in the state.

However, unidentified persons have been either extorting huge amounts of money from drivers transporting the printing materials on the national highways (Imphal Jiribam and Imphal-Dimapur) or harassing the transporters.

Thus, the state government should provide compensation for the press materials set ablaze, it demanded.

On the other hand, the stretch of Imphal- Dimapur road in Senapati and Kangpokpi districts and Imphal-Jiribam road in Tamenglong and Noney districts come under the jurisdiction IGAR-East.

However, it seems that IGAR-East is either inefficient or insincere in monitoring the highways.

As such, AMWJU and EGM urged for handing over the responsibility to the Red Shield Division of the Army or IGAR-South.

The joint statement then appealed to all newspaper distributors, printing unit staff and other media related persons to take part in the protest to be staged at Manipur Press Club from 10 am on Friday.

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