IMPHAL — The All Manipur Working Journalists’ Union (AMWJU) and the Editors Guild, Manipur (EGM) on Friday staged a sit-in at the Manipur Press Club premises in Imphal to protest the burning of press materials by unidentified miscreants.
‘We are staging a sit-in to protest the torching of press materials including the newsprint by unidentified miscreants,’ said Vice President of AMWJU Raj Nongthombam. “The torching of press materials is an attack on the media and an attack on freedom of expression.”
‘We also want to ask what the security forces deployed on the highway are doing,” he said.
Local TVs suspended normal telecast of news bulletins for the day, as journalists ceased their duty on Friday.
‘Daily newspapers will also not hit the stand on August 10 in view of the day’s cease work,’ he added.
The decision to suspend the publication of the newspapers and telecast of news bulletins was taken during an emergency joint meeting of the AMWJU and EGM at Manipur Press Club premises in Imphal on Thursday.
According to reports, the press materials including newsprint that were in transit from Guwahati to Imphal in a truck were seized and torched by miscreants on National Highway 2 in Kangpokpi district on Wednesday.
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