Newspapers in Manipur went off the press Wednesday after a gift-wrapped rocket-propelled grenade was delivered to a newspaper office in Imphal Tuesday night. Journalists and editors decided overnight to suspend publication of all dailies indefinitely and pull news bulletins off local cable channels.
The grenade received by the Sangai Express came from a faction of the underground People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK). The faction was trying to coerce the daily into dropping a statement issued by its rival faction.
According to Khogendra Khomdram, editor of the newspaper, unidentified persons came to his office late Tuesday evening and left behind with a staff member the grenade packed in a packet meant for a mobile handset. The packet contained a label on which was written in bold 'home department of PREPAK'.
The decision to suspend publication of newspapers was taken by the Editors' Forum, Manipur (EFM) and the All-Manipur Working Journalists’ Union (AMWJU) at a late-night meeting. The lone cable television operator in the state, ISTV, too took off air its four daily news bulletins.
Journalists have been at an indefinite sit-in demonstration near Keisampat junction in Imphal. "We will not resume publication and continue the sit-in protest until the threat to newspapers and journalists is withdrawn," AMWJU S Hemant said.
Asia Pacific Director of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), Jacqueline Park, said IFJ supported the media organisations who have taken a stand against the attempted attacks and in defence of their safety. "Journalists have to be able to work free from fear of violence. These journalists have taken an admirable stand in the face of very real threats to their lives," Park said.
AMWJU members have also met Manipur Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh and demanded security for media houses and journalists. The chief minister assured them that immediate security measures would be taken to safeguard media houses and the lives of journalists.
The same night heavily armed gunmen entered the offices of two Manipuri newspapers — Huyen Lanpao and Naharolgi Thoudang — and threatened the journalists not to publish statements of a rival rebel group, the Indo-Asian News Service (IANS) reported. The identities of the gunmen were not immediately known.
In February 2006, newspapers suspended publication for a few days after insurgents shot at and critically wounded a senior journalist, Ratan Luwangcha. (See Related news items below)
Newspapers in Manipur have been under incessant pressure from insurgent organisations, particularly the two PREPAK factions. Both factions have been threatening dailies — asking them to publish their respective statements and prohibiting publication of releases by the rival.
Sources in Imphal said even the government has been planning to take on newspapers for publishing statements isssued by the myriad militant organisations operating in the state. The government was said to be contemplating legal action against newspapers. "We journalists always get caught in crossfires — if it is not between the State and the rebels, it is between two rival factions (as in this case)," an Imphal-based journalist said.
"These groups must understand that it does them no good to try and use the press in their factional warfare," Park said. "Instead, the media should be left to do their work freely. By reporting the situation factually and fairly the media will help build understanding between rival groups, and hopefully help facilitate peace," she said.
