Dimapur, Dec. 22 (EMN): Ukhrul District Working Journalists’ Association (UDWJA) has vehemently condemned what it termed as ‘irresponsible attitude’ shown by the deputy commissioner, Ukhrul, Dr. Harmit Singh Pahuja towards Ukhrul-based journalists who were covering an agitation in the town recently.
The incident happened on December 19 when the Ukhrul based reporters from different state’s media houses were asked to leave his chamber and restricted them from taking photograph of the agitating women vendors under the nomenclature Zaoranao Shim Women Vendors Association (ZSWVA) submitting him a memorandum.
UDWJA president Thotshang Shaiza and the secretary Lester Makang alleged that upon entering his chamber, the DC flatly ordered the media persons to leave his chamber saying, “Now you may get out. We don’t need you here.” He had even restricted the reporters from taking photographs of act of submitting the memorandum by the women vendors, it stated.
Taking strong exception to the boorish behaviour of a district administrator towards the fourth estate, UDWJA had convened an emergency meeting on December 20 and unanimously resolved to condemn the DC’s conduct in no uncertain terms.
“It is for no gains of UDWJA or the district’s journalists fraternity in any manner whatsoever, except for facilitating a logical settlement through a proactive role of the media that Ukhrul based journalists have been following multiple issues surrounding the newly completed Ava Market of Ukhrul town. In as much as the current issue being sensitive, the media persons in Ukhrul have been carefully handling the matter in the larger interest of the community at large,” stated the journalists’ body.
It stated that members of Zaoranao Shim Women Vendors Association have been agitating since December 13 against the allocation of stalls of the new women market. The vendors even launched ‘hunger strike’ intensifying the ongoing agitation which has greatly disturbed the peaceful atmosphere of Ukhrul town and also the festive mood, it added.
UDWJA was of the view that in light of the sensitivity of the issue at hand, all stakeholders need to handle the matter with utmost care in a transparent manner to help resolve the matter at the earliest.
