Journalists take to the streets, submit memorandum to Guv

Agartala, Jul 14, 2011 : For the first time in past sixteen years media-persons cutting across affiliations took to the streets today to protest the police assault on eleven cameramen , reporters and one photo-journalist of a newspaper on July 10. A processions comprising all media-persons and newspaper hawkers who extended support to the media marched through the streets of Agartala with placards under the banner of newly formed 'Assembly of Journalists' and twelve leading figures including two Editors led by Editor of Syandan Patrika Subal Kumar Dey met in deputation with the governor and apprised him of the situation . The media persons submitted a memorandum to the Governor containing a 12-point charter of demands which include suspension of SP (West) Aneesh Prasad. officer in charge of East Agartala police station, Narayan Saha , and officer in charge of College tilla police outpost Jahangir Hossain for excesses committed on journalists while they were performing their professional duties. Apart from this the delegation of assembly of journalists demanded compensation for the injured cameramen and reports and guaranteed security for the media here. 

Dey apprised the Governor of the incidents in details. According to Jayanta Bhattacharjee, Tripura Journalist Union president the governor patiently listened to the pleas of media persons and assured them of doing the needful. 

"We demanded the officers' suspension for the fact that impartial enquiry could be done when they do not hold office to influence the probe",said Bhattacharjee

"He told us that he would talk to the Chief Minister", he added.

The incident of police assault on media-persons on July 10 when the controversial central entrance test (CET) for admission to first year MBBS course came off in MBB college had become a major issue with media persons organizing a sit-in demonstration in front of the state police headquarters on the same day . DGP K Saleem Ali had spoken to the journalists and assured them that the matter would be investigated. He however closed Hussain from active duties.



But the situation worsened as the state Secretary of the CPM Bijan Dhar charged the media with working as agents of Congress. Dhar also refused to condemn the incident of assault on the media or give guarantee of their security. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Manik Sarkar has agreed to include the police assault on journalists in the terms of reference of the magisterial inquiry ordered by the government. 'If any such incident has happened it is condemnable; we want the media to function freely without any hindrance ; if found guilty in the course of investigation no officer will be spared' said Sarkar while informally interacting with six senior journalists of the state.