Manipur media to cease work from tomorrow; militant group given 48 hrs to clarify stand on threat to ‘Poknapham’

Imphal: Strongly denouncing the threat and intimidation by a militant group on local vernacular daily, ‘Poknapham’, not just hurling a live bomb but also now asking to stop publication for six months, journalist bodies in Manipur Thursday urged the outlawed organization to clarify their stand and reasons within 48 hours starting from 6 am Friday.
If the militant group could not provide specific reasons within this period, the journalist bodies would not accept any accusation and allegation against the newspaper, said a statement by the All Manipur Working Journalists Union (AMWJU) on Thursday.
In an emergency meeting of two journalist bodies – AMWJU and Editors Guild Manipur – held Thursday evening, it has been decided that all the Imphal-based print and electronic media will cease work from Friday.
The journalist bodies also appealed to the militant organization to apprise them first of whatever problem it has to either a working journalist or the media organizations.
It further appealed to civil society organizations in Manipur to extend their support to AMJWU and EGM facing this unfolding crisis.
The two media bodies also urged the government to immediately arrest those culprits involved in hurling a bomb on Poknapham on February 13.