Agitating journalists in Manipur set 48 hours deadline to attacker(s)

Agitating journalists in Manipur set 48 hours to the attacker(s) to clarify their act and the state government to book the culprit(s) as newspapers failed to hit stands for the second consecutive day on Monday.

The deadline was set by a joint emergency general body meeting of All Manipur Working Journalists’ Union (AMWJU) and Editors’ Guild Manipur (EGM) held at Manipur Press Club, Imphal.

Scribes are on indefinite cease work strike in protest against a hand grenade attack at the office of the Poknapham daily which also housed its sister publication, The People’s Chronicles on February 13 evening. The grenade failed to explode. However, scribes considered it as an attack on the media fraternity of the state and decided to protest against the latest threat on the media. 

After ceasing work from Saturday evening itself, scribes staged a sit-in-protest in Imphal on Sunday and submitted a memorandum to the chief minister at the concluding part of the protest. 

In response to the memorandum, the chief minister assured security cover to all media houses in the state. He further assured booking of the attacker(s) soon.

Today’s joint emergency general body meeting after a thorough deliberation on the matter passed a five-point resolution including the 48 hours deadline.

While strongly condemning the bomb attack, the meeting resolved that it was not just an attack on Poknapham and People’s Chronicle but to the media.

The meeting resolved to continue the cease work strike and stage sit-in-protest further during the 48 hour deadline.

AMWJU and EGM further resolved to convene another general body meeting after the lapse of the 48 hours deadline and discuss further courses of protest to be launched by the scribes depending on the response of the attacker(s) as well as the state Home department.