Scribe bodies, TMNL condemn assault
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, September 26 2023: All Manipur Working Journalists' Union (AMWJU) and Editors' Guild Manipur (EGM) have strongly condemned the harassment and detention of Ukhrul-based journalist Tennoson Pheiray by personnel of 24 Assam Rifles at Ramva village in Ukhrul district on Monday.

In a joint release, AMWJU and EGM quoted Ukhrul District Working Journalists Association (UDWJA) as saying that district correspondent of ISTV News and reporter of Ukhrul Times Tennoson Pheiray was on his way to Imphal when personnel of 24 AR detained him at Ramva.

Even though he identified himself as a journalist, Subedar Kamla Patil Joshi detained Tennoson on the ground that he looks like a high-ranking officer of the NSCN-IM.

Only after a heated argument, he was ultimately allowed to proceed.

"Such an act of AR is highly condemnable.

We term it an insult to journalists.

AMWJU and EGM extend solidarity to Tennoson and will support UDWJA in this regard, " affirmed the scribes' bodies.

Similarly, Tangkhul Mayar Ngala Long (TMNL) expressed deep resentment over the action of Subedar Kamla Pati Joshi of 24 Assam Rifles, Shangshak stationed at Ramva Outpost, wherein the said officer harassed a journalist on Monday morning, accusing him of being someone he is not.

In a release, TMNL president Themaso Tallanao said, "This is not the first case where the colonial armed forces have shown extreme racist and inhumane behaviour towards the Naga civilians travelling in and around the Naga areas and elsewhere too" .

"The very act that the Subedar portrayed by alleging and harassing the individual as being similar to someone else is downright disrespectful and degrading to say the least.

Even after the individual identified himself as a journalist, the personnel continued their acts of derogatory harassment without an ounce of remorse," the president said.

"Furthermore, we would like to remind them that the Indo-Naga Ceasefire is in place and as such the Assam Rifles have no authority to be hunting and harassing any Nagas, be it the revolutionaries or the public.

The Indo-Naga Ceasefire is a hard earned one and thus they should be mindful of the repercussions on them if it were to be disturbed in any manner or abrogated," he stated.

Cautioning the personnel and their commanding officers, the president stated that the Naga youth will not take such racist harassment from any of them anywhere within Naga territory while also demanding an unconditional public apology at the earliest.

He also cautioned that failing to comply the demand will lead to actions which the colonial forces will be solely responsible for.

The Nagas will not stand for acts of racism dealt upon anyone from the community, he added.

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