Manipur scribes protest inaction on Gwaltabi incident

Scribes held a protest in Imphal on Monday over the alleged inaction on the part of the Manipur government to address the demands raised by them in regard to the infamous Gwaltabi incident.
The Gwaltabi incident involved obstruction to the scribes by troops of the Central security forces who forced them to remove the state’s name from the signage of the Manipur State Transport (MST) bus carrying a team of around 20 journalists on May 20 last.
The incident happened along Imphal-Ukhrul Road at Gwaltabi in Imphal East district when the scribe team was heading to Ukhrul district to cover the inaugural function of Manipur Shirui Festival in Ukhrul district.
The controversy arising out of restriction to the use of the word Manipur within Manipur led to the journalists returning to Imphal without covering the event in which state Governor Ajay Kumar Balla attended.
After four days of strike suspending publication and broadcasting of news, the state government agreed to take action to deliver justice to the scribes after enquiry by a committee.
The boycott was also later lifted after the government constituted enquiry committee submitted its report with the hope that the government will translate into action demands raised by the scribes’ bodies.
However, alleging that no action to address the demands of the journalists taken up so far even after the enquiry report had been submitted, the journalists on Monday staged a protest in Imphal’s Keishampat Junction while boycotting all news related to the government and security agencies including the police.
At Imphal, the journalists protested against the act of the security forces forcing the state government to conduct an inquiry.
The protest held under the banner “Protest against the silence of the government on the Gwaltabi incident” was jointly organised by All Manipur Working Journalists Union (AMWJU) and Editors Guild Manipur (EGM).
“What are you hiding, stop silencing the truth,” read one of the placards displayed by the scribes during the protest. Others read as “Journalism is not a crime”, “Allow us to discharge our duty freely”, “Free the press”, “Media gag is sign of fear”, “An attack on journalists is an attack on democracy”, etc.
Denouncing the continued silence on the part of the state government, AMWJU president Asem Bhakta asked why the state government was delaying to take action even as the report of the enquiry into the Gwalatabi incident had been submitted.
The alleged inaction on the part of the state government compelled the scribes to carry out the protest once again, he said, adding that “We are demanding justice.”
Mention may be made that the scribes under the aegis of the AMWJU and EGM have been launching various forms of agitations to register a strong denouncement against the action of the Central security forces.
“It has been more than 15 days since the report was submitted. Either the government takes action to address our demands or disclose the contents of the report,” AMWJU president added.
He warned that “If the government continues to remain silent even after today’s protest, we (AMWJU and EGM) will consider further course of agitations.”
“We will not retreat until and unless our demands are addressed,” he added.
Attending the protest, EGM president Khogendro Khomdram said it was heard that the committee formed to investigate the May 20 incident had submitted its report to the government.
“However, we are yet to see or hear anything about the report submitted. It’s been some 40 days now since the Gwaltabi incident. We are yet to see any action or punishments to those involved for the hindrances given to the journalists given by security forces on that day as well as removal of the state’s name from the bus carrying journalists. We demand some actions from the government,” he said.
On May 20 last, a bus arranged by the state government carrying some 20 media persons from Imphal to cover the 5th state level Shirui Lily festival was stopped by security forces some 23 km from the state capital at Gwaltabi along the Imphal to Ukhrul route.
The security forces allegedly removed the name of Manipur written on the front glass panes of the vehicle.
The incident triggered widespread protests prompting the Manipur government to constitute a two member inquiry committee “to examine facts and circumstances” surrounding the incident.
Orders issued by the government had stated, the committee consisting of Commissioner (Home) N Ashok Kumar and Secretary Th Kirankumar Singh, Government of Manipur shall submit its report within 15 days.
In July first week, after a meeting between the Governor and Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity, COCOMI convener Khuraijam Athouba had said that the committee had submitted its report.
“We were informed that the report submitted by the enquiry committee formed in connection with the Gwaltabi incident is with the Governor and will be announced to the public soon,” he had said.
The enquiry committee was constituted after a talk between a joint team of AMWJU and EGM and the government at the Governor’s level.
However, no intimation regarding the report was passed to AMWJU or EGM so far from the government side, the EGM president said.