Manipur violence: Press Club of India demands withdrawal of FIR against Editors Guild chief, members

The Press Club of India has expressed strong condemnation over the lodging of a police case against three members of a fact-finding committee of the Editors Guild of India (EGI) and its President regarding their media coverage of the ethnic clashes and violence in Manipur.

In a press statement issued on September 4, the Press Club of India voiced its concern over the use of Section 66A of the Information Technology Act by the police, despite the fact that this provision has been repeatedly struck down by the Supreme Court. The apex court has clearly directed that nobody should be prosecuted under this invalidated provision.

The heart of the matter lies in the critical role of the media, and it is evident that the Editors Guild played a commendable role by dispatching a fact-finding team to assess the on-ground situation and gather information that may have been suppressed.

"This action by the state government is a strong-arm tactic, amounting to the intimidation of the country's apex media body," stated the Press Club of India.

At a time when Manipur is grappling with violence and unrest, it is crucial that the government focuses on addressing the root causes and working towards restoring peace. The Press Club emphasized that such actions by the state government could exacerbate the situation and be perceived as a deliberate attempt to suppress the truth.

"This is a case of shooting the messenger rather than taking measures to restore peace in the state," the Press Club of India asserted.

In light of these concerns, the Press Club of India demands the immediate withdrawal of the First Information Report (FIR) against the President of the Editors Guild of India and the three members of the fact-finding committee. They believe that this step is necessary to uphold the principles of a free press and protect the integrity of media organizations in the country.

The Press Club of India calls upon all stakeholders to respect the role of the media in uncovering the truth and urges the government to prioritize efforts that lead to lasting peace and reconciliation in Manipur.