New Delhi, 15 February 2021: The Indian Journalists Union (IJU) joins its State affiliate the All Manipur Journalists’ Union in condemning the grenade attack on English daily The People’s Chronicle and vernacular daily Poknapham office in Keishampat, Imphal on Saturday evening. Though the grenadedid not explode, the incident has further triggered a sense of insecurity among working journalists and media houses, under pressure from various quarters of late.

The AMJU and the Editors Guild Manipur also lodged its protest by holding a sit-in in the State Capital, in which IJU President Geetartha Pathak also participated. In a memorandum, the AMJU urged Chief Minister N Biren Singh to intervene and ensure the culprits responsible for the attack are arrested and ensure safety and security of journalists in the State.

Senior Minister Biswajit Singh (Works, RD&P/T, C&I/ Power/IPR/A R Trg) in a statement said “this kind of attacking the fourth pillar of democracy through coercing means to dictate the media to toe on their mischievous injunctions will never be acceptable in democracy. There is no place in civilized society for such an act of threatening the media persons who are working 24@7 with dedication for the welfare of the people.”

In a statement IJU President and former Member, Press Council of India Geetartha Pathak and IJU Secretary General and International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) Vice President Sabina Inderjit expressed grave concern at the frequent attacks on media houses and journalists of the State. The IJU demands the State government to investigate this recent incident of grenade attack and bring the culprits to book. It must also ensure safety and security of journalists and media houses, critical to freedom of press and democracy.