Shame at Raj Bhavan gate : Media kept out of swearing in ceremony of new Governor
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 29 2013: The media in Manipur was kept out of the swearing in ceremony of Dr Ashini Kumar as Governor of Manipur today.

As invited by the Government of Manipur for press coverage of the swearing in ceremony, reporters reached Raj Bhavan at 11 am today.

Although the invitations were issued in the name of Editors and Imphal-based correspondents of national papers, no arrangement was made for press coverage of the swearing in ceremony.

On being told that they were reporters coming to cover the swearing in ceremony, CRPF personnel manning the Raj Bhavan gate asked the reporters if their names were included in the list held by them (CRPF) .

At this, the reporters explained that their names would not be present in the list held by CRPF.

The CRPF personnel maintained that no media persons would be allowed entry if their names were not present in the list.

They also told the media persons to contact the Governor's Secretary.

Reporters being kept out at Raj Bhavan gate

Subsequently, the reporters contacted the Governor's Secretary and explained that press invitations were usually made in the name of Editors whereas reporters/cameramen went to cover the events for which the invitation was sent.

Even after the Secretary instructed the CRPF personnel manning the gate to let in reporters holding invitation cards, the CRPF personnel still held back media persons at the Raj Bhavan gate because their (reporters) names were not present in the list.

Even after explaining repeatedly that it was the reporters who went for press coverage of any event, not Editors, the CRPF personnel refused to listen.

Ultimately, the media persons contacted the Governor's Secretary on mobile phone and let him explain the situation to the CRPF personnel, but the latter still stood their ground and kept the media out.

With the CRPF personnel adamantly refusing to understand the situation, the reporters went back.

However, a few reporters who were called in at the last moment by CRPF personnel covered the event while a few others sneaked in posing as Editors.

Meanwhile, the All Manipur Working Journalists' Union (AMWJU) has decried that it was utter arrogance on the part of the CRPF personnel to deny entry and keep away media persons from covering the swearing in ceremony of the new Governor.

By barring media persons from entering the Raj Bhavan who were invited by the Chief Secretary, the CRPF personnel were humiliating not only the journalists but also the Chief Secretary himself.

It was also a manifestation of the lack of coordination among the organisers of the event, said a press release issued by AMWJU.