EMN
KOHIMA, NOVEMBER 24
The Naga Hoho has expressed shock over the Governor PB Acharya’s “unflinching endorsement” extended to the Assam Rifles’ notification issued to the local media houses on October 25 in regard to statements on banned organizations.
The Hoho, in a release today, stated that the Government of India has tagged the NSCN (K) as a banned organization under the Unlawful Activities Act (UAA) “for reasons best known to the Government of India” but that it is highly questionable on the part of the Nagaland Governor for “blindly” supporting the diktat of Assam Rifles as if there is no established system and government in Nagaland under the Constitution of India. In this regard, the Naga Hoho has strongly urged the state government to intervene immediately on what is permissible under the law of the land.
The release also stated that a delegation of the Hoho had met the Centre’s Interlocutor for Naga Peace Talks RN Ravi on November 17 and the Union Home Minister of State, Kiren Rijiju on November 18, and had thoroughly apprised them on the violation of ceasefire ground rules and intrusion on the Freedom of Press by the Assam Rifles.
The Hoho stated that this had come at a time when the Naga people while anticipating the Governor to justify his statement made at the temple in Kolkata in the earlier part of the year, wherein he has alleged that by chanting ‘Hare Krishna Hare Ram’ in northeast India, land in trouble. It also categorically condemned the Governor’s description of NAMASTE as well, and within a short span of time, the constitutional head of the state making a “Hindustan for Hindus” remark has demeaned the office with which the Naga people never had any confusion in the past.
“The Naga Hoho cannot accept such a derogatory statement made by the Governor of Nagaland. We Nagas had no issues with the past Governors and we expect the present Governor, whose office is held with high esteem by the Naga people, not to misuse it to project any religious issues which will hurt the sentiments of the people, after all India is a secular country,” the Hoho stated.
Nagaland Press Association demands clarification
The Nagaland Press Association (NPA) demanded a clarification from Governor PB Acharya on his statement endorsing the Assam Rifles’ diktat on the media houses in Nagaland. “We demand that the Governor of Nagaland clarify his statement and the Assam Rifles to withdraw its diktat imposed on the Nagaland media without delay”.
Expressing that it is disturbed and appalled by the “outright support” expressed by the Governor of Nagaland, P.B. Acharya, to the Assam Rifles in curtailing the editorial rights of editors of local newspapers in Nagaland, the NPA statement said, “ It is beyond our comprehension that the Governor of a State has empowered its soldiers to issue executive orders against the media which is considered as the fourth pillar in democracy.”
The NPA while ridiculing the Assam Rifles diktat questioned, “If news reports regarding international terror outfits such as the ISIS or Al Qaeda that are routinely published in newspapers all over the world, in India, as well as in Nagaland, are now considered as unlawful by the executive or security forces of the State?”
The NPA then argued that if the publishing of news about threats and possibilities of trouble, or dangerous situations, likely to be created by an unlawful organisation is considered as support to the said organisation by the media, then the intelligence capabilities of the State are in serious doubt. “It is tantamount to putting the security of the people and the State at great risk”, it added.
“We would like to assert once again that as responsible media persons working in conflict situations, one of our primary roles is to provide balanced reports without any fear or favour so that the principle and objective of the free press is served for the benefit of our society.”
It then said that as responsible and conscious media org anisation in Nagaland State, “we are disturbed by the thoughtless utterance of the Governor supporting the diktat of the Assam Rifles issued to media houses in Nagaland.”
