Manipur Scribes Not to Cover I-Day Celebrations

The All Manipur Working Journalists' Union (AMWJU) has decided not to give coverage of the Independence Day celebrations in protest against 'unwanted and unexpected' police verification by going to the houses of journalists. The decision not to give coverage of the celebrations was taken last evening during an executive meeting of the union, an AMWJU spokesman said today. He said police and CID personnel went to the houses of those media persons whose names have been submitted to the Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) for 'special pass' for entering venue of Independence Day celebrations. All these media persons have already got government press cards issued by the DIPR. The spokesman said journalists who were not found at their houses during the verification were told through family members to bring residential certificates for getting 'special pass' and it was very humiliating to the media persons. He said authorities also knew that only those media persons who had already got press cards issued by the DIPR could be given the special pass. He also said if police and CID wanted to verify, they should have gone to the respective media houses and met editors or senior colleagues. Due to the suspicious nature of police regarding journalists, the AMWJU would not give coverage of the Independence Day celebrations, he said. Seven insurgent organisations had given boycott call of the Independence Day celebrations and said they would also observe a general strike on the day, saying Manipur had been 'forcibly merged' with the union in 1949.