Respond to scribe's PIL: MC to Govt
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, January 25 2023:
In the second hearing, the High Court of Manipur has set deadline of February 13 to the government of Manipur to furnish reply to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by senior journalist Pradip Phanjoubam on December 19, 2022 .
The PIL challenged the legality of the government order prohibiting publishing of any book on Manipur without prior screening by a committee formed by the government on September 13, 2022 .
In the first hearing of the PIL conducted on December 19, 2022, the government advocate was given time till January 23, 2023 for giving the reply but it was not complied with on the date of the second hearing.
The government advocate instead sought one more month's time to do so.
However, the court in its ruling allowed a shorter time till February 13 for giving the reply.
Prior to filing the PIL, the litigant had written a letter on October 28, 2022 to the state's education, law and legislative affairs minister to withdraw the government order of September 13, 2022 that mandated book authors to seek prior approval of their work from the government committee before getting their works published.
If any book or published research works presented a false and demeaning image of Manipur, then there are other legal means to seek retribution against publishers, authors and researchers to withdraw their works from the market, or to pay damages, the litigant's October 28 letter to the education, law and legislative affairs minister said.
After no reply or suitable rectification on the contested order was forthcoming, the litigant at the advice of his advocate went ahead with the decision to file the PIL on December 19, 2022 .