Imphal, October 10 2008: Taking strong exception to the conduct of the DGP, Y Joykumar during a meeting with the president of the All Manipur Working Journalists' Union, Editors of some State dailies and senior journalists at the former's office today, the media fraternity of the State under the aegis of AMWJU has demanded the transfer of the police officer or else they would be constrained to boycott all programmes related to the Chief Minister, who also holds the Home portfolio.

The hard line was adopted during a meeting of AMWJU and Editors today at the Manipur Press Club.

Strongly condemning the manner in which the DGP literally forced the media persons to disclose the source in connection with a news related to Urea smuggling as well as casting aspersions on the credibility of the media, the journalists have also demanded that the DGP tender an unconditional apology to the media within October 14 .

If only the DGP had taken recourse to the law to extract the name of the source, then he would have earned the respect of the media, noted the AMWJU and the Editors in a statement.

The media persons while expressing strong disapproval under which reporters who had filed the report were made to disclose the source said that the DGP should be held solely responsible for the personal safety and security of the reporters concerned. Strongly condemning the strong arm tactics adopted by the DGP, the meeting also noted that instead of trying to use his position to find out the guilty personnel, the DGP threw all democratic norms to the wind and brow beat the media into submission.

In the presence of such an officer, democracy in Manipur would be in danger, noted the journalists and decided to pursue the case with the Chief Minister.

If the DGP is not transferred by October 14, then the media would boycott all programmes conducted by the Chief Minister, noted AMWJU and the Editors.

The meeting also decided to submit the decisions arrived at today's meeting to the Press Council of India, Indian Federation of Working Journalists and Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting.

Giving a blow by blow account of the meeting with the DGP, AMWJU in a statement said that the DGP asked the President of AMWJU, S Hemanta, general secretary Biren Yambem, Editors of The Sangai Express (English and Manipuri), Editor of Naharolgi Thoudang and Associate Editor of Poknapham for a meeting in connection with a news item published in the October 10 issue with regard to smuggling of Urea to Moreh and then to Myanmar.

During the meeting the DGP rubbished the report as baseless and concocted aimed at blowing the matter out of hand by making it feature in the call attention motion during today's Assembly session and demanded that the newspapers should tender an unconditional apology.

The DGP moreover demanded that the reporters who filed the report should be sacked apart from AMWJU taking up action against them.

The police officer challenged the Editors and senior journalists to provide concrete proof if it was not concocted. The president of AMWJU and the Editors made it clear that revealing the source would against their professional ethics and urged the DGP to investigate the case on the basis of the report, since names have been mentioned.

Unmoved and unwilling to listen to the reasoning of the journalists, the DGP stuck to his gun and demanded proof (naming the source as well as the reporters who had filed the report) or else the newspapers should tender an unconditional apology and penalise the reporters.

This was conveyed in a very brusque manner and any reasoning offered by the journalists were rudely cut short.

The president of AMWJU and the Editors then suggested that they be given one hour time to discuss the matter amongst themselves, if the DGP was adamant on knowing the source of the report.

However this was rudely rejected by the DGP who even questioned whether the journalists were trying to cover up the matter during the one hour time.

The journalists then suggested that if the DGP wants to know the source, it would be better to do it in close confidence as disclosing the source openly would hamper the future works of the journalists.

The DGP however refused to listen to reasoning and literally forced the Editors 'under duress' to summon the reporters who had filed the report.

Even after the reporters were summoned, the DGP was urged not to summon the security personnel who were kept waiting outside in front of the reporters.

This was again turned down by the DGP on the ground that since the report has been published, everything should be done in the open.

Accordingly the IRB personnel, who was the source, was called into the room of the DGP, where the Editors and reporters were present.

The source, the post commander of 3rd IRB posted at Heikakpokpi, was questioned before the president of AMWJU, Editors and the reporters.

For reasons obvious, the post commander denied speaking to any reporter contending that he never stepped outside his post on October 9 and thus has no knowledge about the whole thing.

The DGP then instructed someone on the telephone to have the OC of CID attached to Pallel police station to contact him.

The OC contacted the DGP shortly later and when quizzed if he had gone along with the reporters to the residence of one Santa at Kakching Wairi where the Urea was reportedly loaded, the OC answered in the affirmative.

To another question whether the post commander had met the reporters there, the OC again replied in the affirmative.

The post commander admitted that he had indeed stepped outside his post that day (Oct 9) and gave some information regarding the smuggling of Urea.

According to the post commander, he was informed by the sentry on duty that the Urea truckloads were being taken under the name of one IRB Jamedar Nando.

The sentry's version was based on what the IRB personnel escorting the trucks told him.

On hearing this, the DGP asked the post commander why the matter was not informed to the higher authority and why it was informed to the media.

Later the DGP asked the CO of 3rd IRB to immediately report to his office.

Once it was confirmed that the report was not concocted by the media, the president of AMWJU, Editors and the reporters were allowed to leave the office of the DGP.

Later AMWJU, Editors and senior journalists held an emergency meeting and adopted the resolutions.

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