Ban an attempt to muzzle free press: EGM
IMPHAL: The media fraternity in Manipur on Wednesday extended their support to the NDTV Hindi channel by keeping the editorials blank.
The Editors Guild Manipur (EGM) condemned the ban put by the Union Government on the NDTV (Hindi) and News Time Assam allegedly on the ground of compromising national security.
The EGM said it considers this as an attempt by the government to muzzle free press and demand that the gag order be removed.
It also supported and showed solidarity with the Editors Guild of India, which has also condemned the move, and called it a violation of freedom of the media.
Earlier, on November 7, journalists of Manipur staged a sit in protest here in front of Press Club to protest the one day ban on the news channel- NDTV.
The protest was organised by All Manipur Working Journalists’ Union (AMWJU) were its President AMWJU Shamjai, and scribes took part.
Banners which said “Don’t suppress freedom of expression”, “why single out NDTV” were put up by the journalists.
The mediapersons had also shown solidarity to the NDTV channel and condemned the decision of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
The government had decided to impose a one-day ban on the NDTV Hindi channel on November 9 for broadcasting a report on the air force base in Pathankot which the government felt revealed security secrets.
Demanding a withdrawal of the ban, the Editors Guild called it “a direct violation of the freedom of the media and therefore the citizens of India, and amounts to harsh censorship imposed by the government reminiscent of the Emergency”. It added that “this first-of-its-kind order to impose a blackout has seen the government entrust itself with the power to intervene in the functioning of the media. (UNI)