Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, June 15 2010:
After two days of suspension of publication, media houses in Imphal resumed publication from today.
No newspapers circulated Monday and Tuesday as Imphal based media houses caught in between two groups of undergrounds factions on the question of publications of statements issued by them.
Media houses said that the publication was suspended owing to the sudden imposition of threats from the two factions of Kangleipak Communists Party (Military Council).
Lanheiba, the leader of one faction asked the media houses not to publish a statement signed by one Chinglen, his rival faction.
The threats to the media houses in Imphal came up last night when editors of the Imphal based media houses are considering for publication of the statement released by the other faction of the group after slide modification.
Media houses received from the undergrounds over phone as well from the activists who came directly to some media houses with regard to non-publication of their statements amid the strong threats of dare consequences from the other group.
Owing to the sudden development, media houses themselves decided not to circulate newspapers for the day.
The decision not to publish came up at the final hour of publication when the printing process was about to complete causing losses to all the newspaper houses.
To discuss the sudden development in the media houses, the All Manipur Working Journalists' Union (AMWJU) convened an emergency general meeting at Manipur Press Club, Imphal yesterday.
The marathon meeting, after a threadbare discuss the latest development, decided not to published any of the statement of both groups until an agreement is reached between them with regard to the state reiterating the code of conduct laid down by AMWJU to the underground outfits.
The meeting also resolved to suspend publication of newspapers tonight for tomorrow's circulations (June 15).This is not the first time which militant groups, mostly from the factions, threatened to the media houses in Manipur apart from attacking to the journalists resulting in the suspension of publication of newspapers.
Manipur's media has been bearing the brunt of both menacing threats from the many militant groups and pressure from the state government.
While some reporters have been killed, quite often editors have been hounded and even abducted.