Guwahati : Electronic Media Forum Assam (EMFA) has expressed serious concern at the increasing rate of assaults on media persons in the recent past and urged the authority to take stern action against them, who are involved with the incidents. The television journalist forum also appeals to the civil society group and general populace to support the media persons to perform their duties without interferences.
Mentionable is that the coal mafia in Sibsagar attacked Bipin Hazarika of DY365, an influential satellite news channel of Assam, on March 20 for his initiative to report about the illegal open cast coal mining in his locality. Hazarika received serious injuries when a group of thugs, suspectedly appointed by the coal mafia, attacked him on duty. Even his camera was snatched away. An FIR has already been lodged in the nearby police station.
Meanwhile, Walton Lytan, a photo journalist of UB Photos, a news-photo agency was assaulted by an MLA of Meghalaya on March 19. The member of ruling Congress party in the State Assembly, FS Cajee brutally attacked the photo journalist as he photographed the MLA in sleeping when the Assembly session was going on, and later it was published in a Shillong based newspaper. The Shillong press club president David Laitphlang informed that Walton Lytan was hospitalized after the incident and an FIR was lodged in the police station.
The EMFA has urged both the governments at Dispur (Guwahati) and Shillong to take appropriate actions such that the journalists can get the confidence to report about hard issues. Otherwise, many reporters may find it safer and opt to report only soft issues like fashion show, business press meets, government releases etc, stated in the statement issued by EMFA.
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