Asom media protest over ULFA threat

Guwahati, Jun 14 (UNI) The Asom media today strongly protested the threat from the ULFA terming it as 'unwarranted and direct intrusion' into the independent functioning of the press.

A protest meeting was held here today at the Guwahati Press Club which was presided over by Mr Dhirendranath Chakravarty, Editor Dainik Asom and Mr Prasanta Rajguru, Executive Editor, Amar Asom.

The ULFA recently in a statement had cautioned four journalists, including former Editors Guild of India President Dhirendra Nath Bezboruah and Mr Rajguru for writing against them and criticizing their activities.

The ULFA was angry for exposing their weakening public support when one Assamese daily reported the finding of a survey conducted by the Peoples Consultative Group (PCG). The PCG survey found less than one per cent of Asomiya people actually support the ULFA.

This embarrassed the ULFA most who retaliated first by an e-mail accusing the newspaper and journalists trying to detablise the peace process and then went on to six days of bombings in the state.

Meanwhile, senior editors from the national media have also condemned the incident.

Editors of leading media organizations in the country have condemned the threat by the banned United Liberation Front of Asom to senior editors and journalists in Assam. They have asked the ULFA to honour the freedom of expression '' There cannot be any compromise on the freedom of expression, a universal right, and we call upon all groups, including ULFA, as well as Government and non-government organizations, to respect this basic right unconditionally. It is this right that gives ULFA and similar groups extensive space in the media and it is unacceptable that these organizations should abuse such rights.'' ''What appears especially relevant to us is that the Peoples Consultative Group, a forum launched by ULFA to begin discussions with the Government of India, includes two senior editors from Assam. We expect them to affirm the rights of the media.'' The signatories included Mr B G Verghese, former editor, Hindustan Times and Indian Express, Mr Kuldip Nayar, eminent columnist, Mrs Mrinal Pande, Editor, Hindustan, Mr Shekhar Gupta, Editor-in-Chief, The Indian Express Mr H K Dua, Editor-in-chief, The Tribune Mr Ravindra Kumar, Editor, The Statesman and others.

UNI MT KK KLC1329