Joint meeting of the Editors’ Guild Manipur and the standing Committee members of All Manipur Working Journalists’ Union today strongly condemn the placing of a Hand grenade at the residence of IMPACT TV Editor Yumnam Rupachandra by unknown miscreants claiming to be a members of an armed group.
The Joint meeting held at Manipur Press Club was presided by Editors’Guild President Ahongsangbam Mobi and AMWJU President Wangkhemcha Shyamjai.
The meeting taking the attack seriously has resolved to stage pen down strike tomorrow as the state government machineries too cannot assures the life of the journalists. The journalists’ fraternity of the state will also staged a sit in protest at Keishampat tomorrow.
Narrating about yesterday incident Yumnam Rupachandra said that some miscreants called him at his mobile phone at around 7.30 when he was busy convening a TV programme . As he did not give reply to the phone call the said miscreants again called to the land line number and then informed about the placing of the bomb at the gate.
Rupachandra said that earlier about a month back three unidentified persons came to his residence and asked him why a press note sent by the outfit has not been published by any of the newspaper. Rupachandra instead of talking further told the three unidentified person to talk about the matter after consultation with other members of the editors guild.
Later, some of the members of the AMWJU including the President Wangkhemcha Shyamjai also received similar calls from the similar persons. The caller threatened to publish the news of their organisation which they stated to have been formed recently.
All those members of AMWJU replied that there are certain ethics of the journalists working in the region and there are certain restriction in publication of any news.
The grenade placed at the resident of Yumnam Rupachandra was collected by a team of Kakwa Police station yesterday evening at around 8.30 pm.
He further said that after the incident he received another called from the outfit saying that that is the beginning and the party will follow more action if the press statement issued by them is not published.
Protest staged
Women folks of Thongju Pheija Leitong and club members of the locality today staged a sit-in-protest at Pheijaleitong Ground in protest against the placing of hand grenade to the residence of IMPACT TV News Editor Yumnam Rupachandra. Various placards denouncing the placing of the bomb were displayed during the protest.
A protestor appealed those responsible in placing the bomb not to repeat such act in future.
