Imphal, March 16: Members of the journalist fraternity calling for a conducive working atmosphere and resolutions demanding punitive action against the Assam Rifles personnel involved in the detention and manhandling of media persons inside Kotlien post were the main focus in the emergency meeting of All Manipur Working Journalists' Union held yesterday at Manipur Press Club.

The meeting was convened after four journalists were detained inside the Kotlien post of 38 Assam Rifles on March 14 where they had gone to cover an agitation by villagers of Veitum Khullen who were protesting alleged rape and assault of a teenage girl by an AR jawan near its post.

other resolutions adopted in the meeting include demand for punitive action against the personnel and officer concerned involved in the detention of journalists and mandhandling them; urging the State Government to act accordingly; boycott of 9th State Legislative Assembly proceedings incase State Govt fail to take appropriate action before the assembly session begins; boycott of all news item/programme involving the Assam Rifles and Army till the AMWJU demands are satisfactorily met; and intimation to the Press Council of India, Indian Federation of Working Journalists and International Federation of Journalist (Asia Pacific).

To denounce the criminal conduct of the Assam Rifles media-persons working in State dailies also resorted to a one day ceasework strike that consequently resulted in nonpublication of all State dailies today (March 16).Moreover, a memorandum was also submitted to the Chief Minister demanding that the State Government intervene on the matter in order to ensure that the guilty AR personnel be punished for exceeding their briefs and harassing reporters on duty.

During the course of the meeting, the victim journalists narrated their ordeal inside the Kotlien post where they were subjected to abuses and physical inspite of identifying themselves, apart from being accused of instigating the agitation.

The women agitators and AR men manning the post were already embroiled in intense scuffle when the media team had reached the spot, they informed and condemned the fact that they were assaulted after authenticating their identities.

The media persons also took grim note of responsible AR officials insisting that images captured in cameras should be deleted.

Recalling that the March 14 assault incident was not the first time involving personnel of the Assam Rifles/Army numerous speakers called for stringent action against the guilty personnel in addition to proposing blackout of all AR/Army related news item/activities till the Army authorities initiative appropriate action.

While members present at the meeting were unanimous in boycotting the AR and Army, sincere appeals were made to all concerned to enable the journalists serve the society without any fear or apprehension.

The memorandum to the Chief Minister highlighting the manner in which the detained journalists were ill-treated inside the post desired that the incident be taken up with the AR/Army authorities to reign in their men.

With the AMWJU deadline for a positive response set before the commencement of the first session of the 9th Manipur Legislative Assembly today lapsing without any concrete measures from the State Government journalists consequently boycotted the assembly proceedings.

Meanwhile, All Manipur Newspaper Sales and Distributors' Association has strongly condemned the assault of media-persons by personnel of the 38 Assam Rifles.

Advocating unhindered movement and conducive working atmosphere for media persons, the Association also demanded stringent punishment to the guilty in order to avoid such incident in the future.

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