Manipur journalists condemn threats to media from insurgents

Imphal, Jan 17 (ANI): over 200 media persons took out a rally in Imphal to protest against the recent bomb attacks on two media houses.

The rally organized under the aegis of the All Manipur Working Journalists' Union protested against the explosion of a planted bomb outside the media houses of Naharolgi Thoudang and Sangai Express , daily newspapers from Imphal, on January 2 and January 6 and the involvement of the Kangleipak Communist Party Military Council in them.

Responding to the attack, editorials of various newspapers in Imphal went blank on January 3 and media houses remained closed on January 6.

Following these two incidents the state government is providing media houses with security.

"Recently, some insurgent outfits have threatened the media and the press. They are attacking us on the matter of what to publish and what not to publish. We are working under the guidelines of the Press Constitution of India. They have no right to stop us from working peacefully," said Khoirom Loyalakpa, Editor, Naharolgi Thoudang, a Daily Manipuri vernacular.

Journalists in Manipur have regularly been reporting on the unlawful activities of insurgents.

Their editorials and columns have continuously reflected the pains and agonies of people and helped to create awareness about the atrocities that are committed by them in the state.

Today, a situation has come where insurgents enjoy zero support from people who only now want peace and development in the state.

"As a media person, we have experienced so many risks in the state. We want to tell the outfit clearly that we neither have friends nor enemies, but that we are completely independent. So, why are we being targeted? We have rules and ethics to be followed in order to publish on any issue. So, we strongly condemn such incidents," said A Chaoba Sharma, a journalist with the Imphal Free Press. (ANI)