Imphal, May 23: Three journalists covering the violence in Indian disturbed Manipur’s East Imphal district were assaulted by Indian army personnel, reported the Imphal Free Press. The journalists – Soram Inaoba and Nongthombam Johnson from the channel Mami TV and Brahmacharimayum Dayananda from the news agency ANI – were assaulted with batons by Indian personnel while they were recording footage of a burning building from a construction site at the New Checkon area of Imphal.
On Monday, fresh violence was reported in Manipur after a mob had torched homes in the New Checkon market of Imphal West district.
Tensions in the northeastern state were first reported on May 3 after thousands participated in a protest march organised by the All Tribal Students’ Union of Manipur to oppose the demand of the majority Meitei community to be included in the Scheduled Tribe category.
The protestors included the Kukis, one of the larger tribal communities in Manipur.
The All Manipur Working Journalists’ Union, Editors’ Guild Manipur and Manipur Hill Journalists’ Union submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister N Biren Singh demanding the suspension of the army personnel who assaulted the journalists, the Sangai Express reported.
The journalists’ associations said that the journalists were only waving at the drone as it had come too close to them, and did not throw stones at it. “This notwithstanding, it is a gross violation of the right of media to cover an incident, when they are assaulted even after they have been identified as [mediapersons] on duty,” they said.
Meanwhile, Indian city Amritsar, the rural police have booked Ranjit Singh and some of his unknown accomplices on charges of attempt to murder and hurting religious sentiments following a clash between them and members of the local Christian community at Rajewal village, on the Jandiala Guru-Tarn Taran road.
Johnson, the president of the Sukhpal Rana Ministries (church) at Rajewal village, told the police that during a morning prayer on Sunday, several persons clad in the Nihang attire had arrived at the church. Led by suspect Ranjit, the Nihangs allegedly shown disrespect to the holy Christian scriptures.
Moreover, the group of Nihangs assaulted some devotees and vandalised several vehicles parked in the area.