Scribes hounded, movement restricted
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 11 2009: Curtailing the rights of the media, police commandos today chased mediapersons who went to cover the news report of some womenfolk, brought under security escort to submit a memorandum to the Governor in connection with the Khwairamband Bazar incident of July 23 .

Taking a serious note of the restrictions placed on the movement of mediapersons, the All Manipur Working Journalists' Union has urged the Government not to impede the scribes from covering news near the CM's bungalow and Raj Bhawan.

The restrictions have severely inconvenienced the newsmen in discharging their duties since August 10, it said.

A cartoon from The Sangai Express

AMWJU further said that though the SSP of Imphal West assured in front of the Chief Minister, that a clear report on the attack at Paojel office would be furnished soon, nothing has materialised till date.

Following the announcement of the Working Committee of the Apunba Lup that another mass rally would be organised today and a memorandum would be submitted to the Governor, stringent security measures were in place around the Raj Bhawan.

When a group of womenfolk took out a protest rally from Keishampat Leimajam Leikai and tried to proceed towards the Raj Bhawan to hand over the memorandum, a large number of police personnel stopped them from going ahead.

Afterward, five women representatives were picked up from among the protestors and they were escorted in a police van and taken to the Raj Bhawan to submit the memorandum to the Governor.

On hearing the news, mediapersons rushed to the spot.

But the police commandos shooed away the mediapersons twice and did not even allow them to meet the womenfolk and take photographs when they came out of the meeting with the Governor.

Later, while the disappointed mediapersons were waiting for the womenfolk at Keishampat Leimajam Leikai, they were again shooed away by police commandos, who maintained that it was a restricted zone.

When the womenfolk finally returned after submitting the memorandum, they were talking to the mediapersons at Keishampat Leimajam Leikai when the commandos against came and asked the mediapersons to go inside further.

Later talking to mediapersons in connection with their meeting with the Governor, one of the woman representatives identified as L Mema informed that they conveyed the information of coming to hand over the memorandum to the Governor himself as the people have lost their faith on the SPF Government led by Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh.

The woman representative also informed that they have conveyed to the Governor of meting out same sort of treatment if he did not take up necessary measures towards fulfilling the demands of the people.

The Governor reportedly gave a patient hearing to the complaint of the womenfolk and gave the assurance of doing the needful in this regard.

The demands highlighted in the memorandum include awarding befitting punishment to the police commandos involved in the killing of Ch Sanjit, Th Rabina and causing injuries to five other civilians, taking up necessary action against the police officers who try to cover up the facts, resignation of Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh on moral ground for his misleading and irresponsible statement over the incident on the floor of the State Assembly and release of all persons who are being detained in police custody unconditionally.

Meanwhile, crying for justice over the July 23 fake encounter incident at TB Road which left one pregnant woman killed among other casualties, women's committee of United NGOs Mission, Manipur, during a press conference at its Chingmeirong office here, has demanded to know why the Manipur State Women's Commission and the lone woman MLA Okram Ongbi Landhoni have been keeping quiet over the issue.

The Committee has also questioned why the Red Cross Society, Manipur has not been paying attention to the killing.