TURA: Dozens of members from the Garoland State Movement Committee and the Garo Students Union converged on the premises of the Doordarshan Kendra station in Tura on Wednesday morning and began a sit- in dharna to oppose the centre’s move to strip the station and reduce it to a mere programme production centre.
Led by GSMC chairman Nikman Marak and GSU president Zikku Balhra Marak and others, the protestors put up placards and shouted slogans opposing the proposed move to shift all major components in the working of the Tura Doordarshan Kendra to the Shillong station.
“We are very clear that under no circumstances are we going to allow the Kendra to be reduced into a mere PPC and will hold mass protests if any attempt is made to strip it,” warned GSMC leader Nikman Marak.
With the possibility of more intense agitations coming up, Doordarshan authorities from the Tura station invited the agitating GSMC and GSU leaders for a discussion.
The agitating organizations were given a verbal assurance by the Additional Director General of Prasar Bharati who spoke over the phone with the protesting leaders.
“After our telephonic conversation the ADG emailed a letter of assurance from Prasar Bharati in Delhi mentioning status quo. So, on the basis of the letter we have temporarily suspended our stir. But, we will resume our stir if there is any backtracking on the government assurance,” warned leaders of both protesting organizations.