Peeved by Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb’s controversial statement “Tripura Assembly of Journalists”, a newly floated forum to deal with issues related to protection of working journalists on Sunday urged the Chief Minister to take back his comments within three days.
The newly floated forum also anticipated that the comments of Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb against a certain section of the media acted as an encouragement for miscreants. Close on the heels of his remarks, not less than two working journalists based at Hrishyamukh and Ambassa were attacked.
Sources said, a local TV journalist was attacked by some miscreants believed to be local level BJP leaders. The miscreants tried to snatch his camera and hurled abusive while he went to cover a news at Chailthkhala area of South Tripura district. In the second case, Pinku Biswas associated with a local TV and a vernacular daily was attacked by some miscreants.
Biswas was seen speaking boldly in a heavily circulated video countering the Chief Minister’s comments. Some sources said, the video evoked serious repercussion as Pinku was heard using “objectionable words” in his video message. Biswas was attacked on Friday night. He had been hospitalized for treatment. In both the cases, none could be arrested so far, police sources confirmed.
However, the newly formed media forum---Tripura Assembly of Journalists’ had said that it would not tolerate any ill-treatment being meted out to the journalists of the state. “The forum has unanimously decided that this forum will not tolerate any undemocratic step against the media fraternity. The forum wants the government to cooperate with the media”, a press communique issued by the forum reads.
Veteran editor Subal Kumar Dey, while speaking on the matter said that if the Chief Minister did not take back his remarks they would choose the way of larger protest. They would also likely meet the Governor of Tripura and write to the Home Minister describing everything.
According to the press statement, Governor of Tripura, Prime Minister of India, Home Minister of India, Press Council of Media, International Federation of Journalists, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiatives and Editors’ Guild would be made aware of the contents of Chief Minister’s speech that the forum felt “intolerant” and sought to threaten the Press.
Meanwhile, Agartala Press Club and other journalists’ organizations including TWJU, Union of Tripura journalists also condemned the incident. It is also worthy to mention here that the earlier formed forum of journalists that named “Forum for Protection of Journalists” had been merged into the new forum. An ad hoc committee was formed to oversee the activities.
Veteran Editor Subal Kumar Dey has been nominated as the chairman of the forum where veteran journalists Sekhar Datta held the post of convenor. Senior journalists Paramita Livingstone, Jayanta Bhattacharjee, Shanit Deb Roy, Dr Biswendu Bhattacharjee, Debasish Majumder and Ramakanta Dey were the members.
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