Manipur scribes to launch pen down strike on May 21

• IMPHAL — Media persons in Manipur on Tuesday decided to launch a pen down strike by suspending all normal duties on May 21 in protest against the alleged harassment of a media team en-route to cover the opening ceremony of the 5th Shirui Lily Festival in Ukhrul district.
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• The All Manipur Working Journalists Union (AMWJU) and Editors Guild Manipur (EGM) took a decision in this regard in a joint emergency meeting held at Manipur Press Club in Imphal on Tuesday.
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• “In the event the matter is not resolved suitably, the pen-down strike may be extended,” says a joint statement of AMWJU and EGM.

Also read: Manipur: Security measures in place for Shirui Lily Festival

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• The joint emergency meeting of the scribe bodies also resolved ‘to boycott all Manipur state government related news and information including state and central forces operating in the state’ besides ‘demanding an inquiry into the incident of harassment’ and ‘fix responsibility’ as part of the protest.
  
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• According to people familiar with the incident stated that a team of media persons, who were on their way to Ukhrul district to cover the inaugural function of 5th Shirui Lily Festival, was allegedly directed by personnel of Mahar Regiment to hide or conceal the words ‘Manipur State Transport’ displayed on their official bus at Gwaltabi checkpoint, around 25 km north of Imphal.
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• It stated that the incident prompted the media persons to abandon the bus, arranged exclusively for the media persons by the Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR), carrying around 20 media persons along with DIPR staff, and return on their own to the capital.
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• On reaching Imphal, a joint emergency meeting of the AMWJU and EGM was held and the above decisions including the pen down strike on May 21 was taken.
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• The media persons also staged a protest march braving the seasonal drizzling starting from Manipur Press Club to Raj Bhavan in Imphal to submit a memorandum to the Governor, Ajay Kumar Bhalla, urging him to find out the culprits who caused such confusion and penalise for their incompetence.
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• The memorandum of the scribe bodies demanded ‘to take action against those officials and personnel in charge of the area where the incidents occurred.’ It also advised the DIPR to have proper consultation with related stakeholders to prevent such incidents from occurring in future.
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• The AMWJU and EGM also decided to hold an emergency general meeting at Manipur Press Club on May 21 to discuss on the issue.