IMPHAL, May 25 – It would not be wrong to say that journalists in north-eastern States particularly Manipur are soft targets and working under pressures.
Journalists’ community in Churachandpur district conveyed this in an interaction with Sukumar Murlidharan, Programme Manager for South Asia, International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) on Friday. The Programme Manager is on a visit to Assam and Manipur to see and understand how the journalists function in the State.
However, journalists who attended the interaction agreed that the situation is ‘somewhat’ improving after the signing of ‘suspension of operation’ between the security forces and the insurgent groups in August 2008.
The IFJ representative handed over the seventh annual report of the IFJ for the South Asia to the leaders of Manipur Hill Journalists’ Union.
The report of the IFJ prepared along with the South Asia Media Solidarity Network has categorically stated about the security needs of journalists in Manipur. The situation for the media in the North East illustrates the tendency that parties locked in conflict often deny opposing sides a voice and target journalists suspected of harbouring contacts with rival groups, even if they are of a professional nature.
The report highlighted the general closure of all newspapers in Manipur for 11 days from November 20 last year to protest Konsam Rishikanta’s murder. Rishikanta was a junior sub-editor of the Imphal Free Press daily in Imphal.