Condemnation of attack on journalist in all cases have come from many ends but what is requried to see is that whether the society will let  black be black and white as white.

2nd April 2012

On March 19, A photo journalist Walton Hilton was allegedly assaulted by the Congress MLA from Mawlai constituency in the Meghalaya Assembly premises after a photograph showing him taking a nap during the state Assembly session appeared in a couple of vernacular newspapers.  

15th July 2012

The associate editor of Arunachal Times, Tongam Rina, was shot at by suspected miscreants on last 15th July Sunday as she was entering her office in the Sector E area in Itanagar at around 6pm. She was hit in her stomach and is stated to be critical. The attackers fled after the shooting. Thirty two-year-old Rina works as the associate editor of the first English language daily of the Himalayan state, which is owned by the family of former chief minister Gegong Apang. Rina was rushed to the Ram Krishna Mission Hospital here and doctors said that her intestines and backbone were badly damaged.

14th August 2012

Some insurgent groups threw a grenade at the home of Ahongsangbam Mobi, editor of the local Manipuri-language Sanaleibak newspaper and president of the All Manipur Working Journalist Union, in Imphal City in the northeast state of Manipur on 14th August. Mobi, who was in the kitchen during the attack. Imphal, the capital of the insurgency-ridden state, was under security alert at the time of the attack, after militants called for a strike on India’s Independence Day, August 15, according to news reports. Local editors, including Mobi, reported receiving death threats after they refused to publish a statement by Kanglei Yawol Kunna Lup (Military Defence Force), a local insurgent group, which announced the strike and threatened harm against unnamed individuals, the news reports said.

14th August 2012

Several journalists were attacked by bandh supporters in different parts of the State during the Assam bandh called by All Assam Minority Students’ Union (AAMSU) on 28th August. In Goalpara News Live reporter Amulya Kumar Nath was brutally attacked by AAMSU supporters and his camera was also snatched by the miscreants. Nath was admitted to Goalpara Civil Hospital. News Live reporter Joyjyoti Gogoi was injured in police lathicharge in Sivsagar district. Two journalists were attacked by bandh supporters in Barpeta Road. In another incident a news paper delivery van was set ablaze in Tezpur.

1st September 2012

A  photo journalist Caisii Mao in Dimapur district of Nagaland was attacked while covering clashes between two armed groups belonging to rival tribes in the district headquarters town. The clashes erupted after a young man belonging to one of the tribes died while in the custody of the other the previous day.  Caisii Mao suffered large bruises around his knees and arms and his camera was destroyed in the incident which reportedly occurred in the presence of security forces deployed to control the protesters. The Dimapur Press Club has strongly condemned the incident and asked for due compensation for the photo-journalist.

8th November 2012

Unidentified persons alleged to be ruling Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) supporters vandalized the office of the local English daily Sikkim Now at Gairigaon in Tadong area on 8th November. Miscreants pelted stones and damaged office furniture of the English daily at around 10.30pm on Wednesday night. However, no one was injured in the incident. Five persons, including SDF panchayat poll candidate Bibi Domo Tamang (25) and her supporters Pem Chuki Tamang (20), Tashi Bhutia (20), Gyatso Bhutia (30) and Palman Tamang (22) have been arrested in this connection.

Tamang had unsuccessfully contested the panchayat polls held on 3rd November in the state. At a press conference on Thursday, state DGP Jasbir Singh said those arrested would be booked under stringent Acts and the charge sheet will be filed within a month’s time after the investigation is completed. Meanwhile in a statement, Sikkim Federation of Working Journalists (SFWJ) general secretary Khagendramani Pradhan strongly condemned the attack on the newspaper office. The federation urged the state government to ensure safety and security of all media persons and houses of Sikkim. Condemning the attack, Sikkim Press Club general secretary Joseph Lepcha urged the state government to ensure safety of journalists and newspaper houses.

Mr. Anjan Upadhyaya, Editor and Publisher of Hamro Prajashakti, a vernacular daily, has also condemned the attack and termed the attack cowardice act. On 4th April of 2008 Hamro Prajashakti was also attacked. Some masked miscreants thronged the office at night around 8 PM and hit the journalists working in the office with hammer and rod. Sikkim Police still clueless about the attack. Press Council of India has also taken up the issue seriously.

2nd May 2012

An FIR was filed by supporters of a legislator against a noted columnist and environmentalist  and a contributed to Eastern Panorama, Mr. H. H. Morhmen based on an article published by him in a local English daily. The very act of filing and FIR against citizens who voice their thoughts and concern for society belittles Freedom of Speech & Expression and Freedom of the Press. Aggrieved readers should issue a rejoinder, which should be published within 15 days by the concerned newspaper. However, if the rejoinder is not published as desired, the readers can approach the Press Council of India for redressal.

Anup Rai