Manipur journalists demonstrate sit-in protest over UNLF threats, news services suspended

The journalists' fraternity across the state of Manipur resorted to cease work following a militancy threat over a publication of a news item.

Notably, the scribe's body consisting of both print and digital, the Editors Guild Manipur (EGM), All Manipur Working Journalists Union (AMWJU), and Manipur Hills Journalists’ Union (MHJU) after a brief general meeting at the Manipur Press Club in Imphal decided to protest on October 12.

The journalist fraternity started the protest at Keishampat Leimajam Community Hall, Imphal at 9 AM and continued till 2 PM demanding no disturbance or interference from bodies with complete freedom.  

The sit-in protest has been carried out following a threat to the AMWJU president by members of some militant outfit.

Speaking to India Today NE, a journalist from Manipur on the condition of anonymity said, "We don't want to name the militant group as there are now two factions in the group and asking us to publish news, hence we are protesting only to give us freedom while writing news items".

According to the sources, it was confirmed that the militant outfit is none other than UNLF and another fraction of the outfit.

"A fraction within the United National Liberation Front (UNLF) is threatening us to publish news against a student organisation (All Manipur Students' Union) which is again not united as an organisation", said the source.

Boycotting the call to publish the news from both parties, the journalist fraternity completely stopped publishing the news of the students' organisation on both sides, following which the scribes have been threatened to publish news from the students' body.

Following the sit-in demonstration, women's organizations and civil society organizations (CSOs) will be invited to a meeting to discuss the matter of the militant atrocity in the journalists' fraternity.

With this all media-related works in Manipur were put on halt with no news to be broadcasted nor publications since October 11, however, the journalist bodies were likely to restore work from October 13.

It is to be mentioned here that earlier in 2021 also journalist resorted to protesting against the diktat of the militant threats.