Manipur Dailies Begin Publications

Imphal, Jan 7 : Manipur local daily newspapers numbering around 12 that had stopped their daily publications for almost a week, began to hit the stands from today.

The local newspapers were circulated across the State as usual from this morning after the State scribes resumed their normal duties.

Media houses failed to bring out their daily editions since December 29 last year after the scribes under the aegis of All Manipur Working Journalists Union (AMWJU), an apex body of the journalists community in the State, launched an indefinite cease-work strike in protest against the arrest of editor of a local vernacular daily Ahongsangbam Mobi (55).

Mobi who was arrested for his alleged links with a militant organisation was released on bail after he was produced in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Imphal West yesterday.

Salam Imocha, CJM, Imphal West released editor of the daily titled Sanaleibak on bail. However, the editor will have to report to the said court every Sunday until further ruling.

On December 29 morning, police arrested editor Mobi for his alleged links with Kangleipak Communist Party (Tabungba group) and had been in police custody since then.

Rejecting the allegations of the police, members of All Manipur Working Journalists’ Union (AMWJU), an apex body of scribes in the State, had launched an indefinite cease- work strike besides staging a sit-in demonstration since then forcing the media houses to stop publishing daily newspapers till January 5.

Terming the police charges as ‘extreme injustice’ and demanding ‘unconditional release’ of the editor, AMWJU President Khogendra Khomdram in a memorandum to State chief minister said that editor Mobi being the Vice-President and spokesman of the union, was authorised to settle a number of stand-off between media and militants in Manipur following government’s failure to provide a secured environment for media in the State.

From early nineties onwards, six journalists were shot dead in Manipur besides making attempts at physical and mental harassment. Manipur dailies had refraomed from publication on October 18 and 27 last to protest militants’ diktats on what to print and what not to.