An unidentified attacker shot at Tongam Rina, Associate Editor of Arunachal Times, one of the five dailies published from Itanagar. It took major surgery to remove the bullet from her back. V. Rabindram, Associate Editor of Dawnlit Post who has done 25 years of journalism in the state who was himself attacked at least three times said that an attack on the media in Arunachal was just normal. In December 2010, two women journalists of Arunachal Sentinel were assaulted. This is not the first time Rina was targeted. On April 15, her office was ransacked. Arunachal Times is owned by the family of former Chief Minister Gegong Apang. Another paper, Arunachal Front is owned by persons close to Chief Minister Nabam Taki. Some journalists feel that they are attacked without a motive. The police failed to identify the assailants.
Rabindram, however, says that journalists are attacked if their paper fails to publish the press releases of a group verbatim. Besides, other groups raise a shindy over the publication of one group’s press releases. Politicians in the state seem to be oblivious to the fact that the press has to abide by a code. Freedom of speech cannot be defamation or mud-slinging. Chief Minister Nabam Taki has blamed the police for their inaction. It is a sad reflection on the state’s security system. If internal security, especially the safety of the Fourth Estate can be threatened, safeguards against external threats in a sensitive area like Arunachal can only be fragile.
