Imphal: Newspapers on Monday failed to hit the stands in Manipur as media houses and scribes protested against the diktat of militants who threatened mediapersons and media houses with dire consequences for disobeying their orders.
Appealing to all including militants, the media houses said they should be allowed to work freely so that the daily editions could be published uninterruptedly to serve the public interest.
An AMWJU spokesman said media in Manipur was unable to work freely due to intervention from various quarters including militants and other ‘powerful and unwanted quarters’.
While one group would issue a press statement which was ‘not printable’as per guidelines of the Press Council of India (PCI) and would order media persons to publish it verbatim, another opponent group would threaten the scribes with dire consequences if the said statement of the rival group was published, the spokesman said.
AMWJU president Mobi’s house was attacked by exploding a powerful grenade by suspected militants on Saturday night but no casualty was reported.
State Home Minister Gaikhangam had earlier said that steps had been taken to protect mediapersons and media houses by deploying security and police personnel at places near the media houses in the state. (PTI)
