Journalists launch protest; no newspapers in Manipur today

Newspapers in Manipur failed to hit the stands on Wednesday, after the All Manipur Working Journalists’ Union (AMWJU) took a decision to protest against the diktats of two factions of a militant outfit.

While a section of the militant outfit wanted the statement to be published in newspapers, another faction of the same outfit warned the dailies with dire consequences if the statement was published, an AMWJU spokesman said.

The media body decided not to publish any statement issued by the outfit while appealing to the public not to disturb the functioning of the press in the state.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the AMWJU last evening, he said.

“This is not the first time that militant outfits have disturbed the smooth functioning of the media in Manipur,” the spokesman said.

On earlier occasions also, dailies had failed to hit the stands because of various pressures from different militant outfits, he said.