By Preetam BC

Kokrajhar: The Journalists’ Union of Assam, Kokrajhar District Committee and Kokrajhar Press Club today carried out a 1-hour sit-in protest demonstration at Children Park, near Kokrajhar Deputy Commissioner office here in Kokrajhar against the attack on freedom of press among other deamnds.

Working journalists from the print and electronic media in Kokrajhar participated in the sit-in demonstration from 11 am to 12 noon carrying placards.

Separate memorandum was submitted to the Prime Minister of India and Assam chief minister through the Kokrajhar Deputy commissioner on demands to take urgent steps to protect the freedom of the press and independent journalism, essential for survival of democracy in the country.

The protest was carried in different parts of the country at the call of Indian Journalists’ Union against the attacks on freedom of press.

The memorandum expressed serious concern on how the ruling party at the centre recently pressurised the management of Hindi news channel ABP News to sack two of its senior editors who were critical of the government in their news programs. They first denied the channel advertisements and then by blocking the transmission signals of the broadcasting of the programs critical of the central government.

It also stated that four journalists including the editor of Rising Kashmir, Shujaat Bukhari, were killed for the journalistic activity sending a chill down the spine of journalists in the country. “The supporters of the ruling dispensations are trolling the independent journalists critical of the ruling party and government. This is a direct attack on the freedom of the press and expression and not conducive for a healthy democracy.

The memorandum further stated that the pressure on the media houses and independent journalists to conform to the diktats of ruling dispensations not only weakens the foundations of democracy in the country but also violates the freedom of expression and people’s right to know, guaranteed under the constitution. Some state governments are also resorting to coercion some news channels critical of them by covertly asking the cable and DTH operators not to beam their signals for weeks and in some cases months together.

It also expressed concern at the way the Central Press Accreditation Committee and State accreditation committees are constituted violating the long established convention and direction of the Press Council of India by handpicking journalists without taking representatives of the journalists unions and urge the government to direct the concern authority to take representatives of journalists unions in these committees.

The working journalists appeal the government both at the Centre and state to take urgent steps to protect the freedom of the press and independent journalism, essential for survival of democracy in the country.