Mail News Service
Imphal, Dec 24 : The Manipur Hill Journalists Union (MHJU) said it was shocked to hear over the brutal killing of a TV journalist Thangjam Dwijamani Singh alias Nanao on Sunday (December 23) during the police firing in the state capital.
Nanao Singh a reporter of Guwahati-based, Pime News xhannel sustained bullet injuries and succumbed to his injuries at the Regional Institute of Medical Science and Hospital the same evening. It is very unfortunate that a journalist died at the hands of the police. The callousness of the police has taken a precious life. This is a grim reminder of the insecurity of the media persons in Manipur.
While the police are expected to provide security to the media persons, yet, many a time, the police or the security forces became the killers. It is alarming that the journalists are being targeted while performing their daily duties. The ugly incident clearly reflects the insecurity of state journalists in times of crisis or violence.
The State Government must provide security to the journalists . It is sad that the lives of the journalists are not safe at all in any violence related situations in the State of Manipur. The media, which is considered to be the fourth pillar of democratic country, is at stake now, which shows the journalists are in great threats and dangers.
Manipur Hills Journalist Union (MHJU) condemned the killing of Nanao Singh in the strongest possible term. It is an unspeakable and unpardonable action. Stringent action should be taken against the police who cold bloodedly shot dead the journalist and must be punished accordingly. It urged Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh to order a probe into the incident and to give compensation to the family of the slain journalist. It sent deepest condolences to the bereaved family.
However Manipur Hill Journalists Union (MHJU) has not been allowed to attend the condolence of our beloved member Nanao Singh by the bandh supporters which indeed is a disrespectful act for the media voice and its freedom. It also appeal the Film Forum Manipur (FFM) and Manipur State Shumang Leela Council to lift the ndefinite bandh which disrupted the Christmas moods and activities in the State. As we all know Christmas is the greatest festival of the Christians all over the world, it may not be healthy to disrupt or disturb the Christmas festival.
The Indian Journalists Union (IJU) today expressed profound shock over the death of Thangjam Nanao Singh, a reporter of ‘Prime Time’ in police firing in Manipur yesterday.
In a statement here, IJU President S N Sinha and Secretary-General Devulapalli Amar expressed doubts over the official varison and wondered how only journalist was wounded while not even a single alleged agitator was injured in the police firing. ‘We have our own apprehensions. We demanded that a credible and independent injury should be held to find out the cause and circumstances leading to police firing and the resultant death of Journalist. We also demanded that the police should immediately return the camera of Nanao Singh in which he had captured the happenings on the spot beforethe fell to the police bullet’, they said.
The pictures in the camera might lead to unravel the cause of the firing, they added. They demanded that the family of Nanao Singh should be adequately compensated by the Government of India and Manipur. They also called upon the working journalists in the coutry to protest against lack of safety to journalists in the country.Electronic Media Forum Assam (EMFA) has condemned the killing of a Manipuri journalist in police firing yesterday EMFA, in a statement issued today, urged the Manipur government led by Ibobi Singh and also the management of the city based news channel to provide sufficient compensations .
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/media-organizations-condemn-killing-of-dwijamani/
