Rally against scribe attack

Imphal, Aug 13 : Journalists in Manipur today ceased work and took out a procession in Imphal city to protest against a grenade attack by suspected militants on the residence of a vernacular newspaper editor last night.

Police said the grenade hurled from outside the gate landed and exploded on the courtyard of the house of A. Mobi Singh, president of All Manipur Working Journalists’ Union, at Thongju Part-II in Imphal East around 8.15pm.

No one was injured in the attack.

Mobi Singh, who is also the editor of Sanaleibak, said the grenade exploded at a place where he usually sits and works. “I was working in the kitchen as I was alone. My family was out. Had they been present I could have worked at the courtyard and I could have been either hurt or killed.”

The journalists held an emergency meeting at Manipur Press Club today and condemned the attack. As they are on ceasework, there would not be any daily publication tomorrow.

“It is an attack on journalists, democracy and society. It is cowardly and senseless act of violence,” the vice-president of the journalists’ union, Witoubou Newmai, said.

The attack came at a time when Greater Imphal is on high alert ahead of Independence Day.

Police, editors and officer bearers of the journalists’ union suspect hands of an armed group behind the attack. It had issued threats to some editors and Mobi Singh for not publishing a statement issued by the group recently.

The union’s president said the statement could not be published, as it would violate the guidelines of the Press Council of India.

Sources in the journalists’ union said the group had also sent text messages to the President not to take out any protest rally against yesterday’s attack.

However, the journalists today took out a procession from Manipur Press Club to the official residence of home minister Gaikhangam to submit a memorandum.

A delegation also submitted a memorandum to chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh demanding an inquiry into the attack and arrest the culprits. Ibobi Singh assured the delegation that those involved in the attack would be arrested in two days’ time.