Shillong: November 28: The Meghalaya Electronic Media Association (MEMA) has condemned the attack on a freelance journalist Biplab Dey from Garo Hills, who was assaulted near Damra in Goalpara, Assam on 26 November, 2016.
Biplab was assaulted when he went to take photo and video evidence of an illegal check gate near Damra in Goalpara, Assam. The freelance journalist was under attack by a group that was manning the illegal gate. According to information received by MEMA, the phone of the journalist too was damaged after one of the assailants stamped on the phone in attempting to destroy evidence.
The incident happened at about 9:25 pm on last Saturday (26th November, 2016) when the said check gate was collecting an amount of Rs 1500 from all coal trucks including from Garo Hills plying on the same route.
Kyrmenlang Uriah, President of MEMA, today voiced concern about the growing violence against journalists. He said journalists and media workers provide a service that is essential for any democratic society. Journalists play a crucial role in enabling citizens to know what is happening around, to keep the public informed and to expose the misdeeds of the mighty & powerful.
He said that criminal intimidation of journalists and preventing them from performing their duties were violations of the freedoms enshrined in and guaranteed by the Constitution.
The MEMA President urged the Chief Minister & Home Minister of Assam to take stern action and to book the culprits and displaying that no individual(s) are beyond the law of the land.
However, the MEMA reiterated its demand from the Meghalaya Government to implement the Risk Insurance Scheme for working journalist in the state of Meghalaya.
