DIMAPUR, OCT 17 (MExN): In a fresh assault on the Fourth Estate by security personnel, a journalist team from Dimapur was given ill-treatment while covering the attestation parade of SSB recruits at No. 3 Training Battalion, Sukhovi on Tuesday.
The organizers’ offer of drinks raised eyebrows of the scribes after they refused to return home by the vehicle provided by the former, it was informed. The journalists were left high and dry after the function as they could not find a proper vehicle to return home as assured by the organizers Assam Rifles Training Centre & School, Chumukedima.
On being unhappy over the vehicle that carried them to Sukhovi, the mediapersons asked for a better one considering the distance of the venue and condition of road leading to it. The organizers did not heed the repeated requests of the scribes, forcing the latter to return home on their own in heat and dust conditions. The journalists were also told to sit at the entrance of the venue.
Peeved at this, journalist team took up the matter with Vikram Srivastava, Additional Director General, SSB, but to no avail. He simply tried to avoid their plea, saying “We’ll see that next time it does not happen.” Such irresponsible comment on the part of a top official of SSB only left the journalists befuddled. It may be noted here that journalists were also badly treated by security forces on several occasions in the past.
Meanwhile, the Dimapur Press Club (DPC) expressed shock at the inhuman treatment meted to its members by the Indian Security Forces, who had gone to cover the attestation parade of SSB recruits at its No. 3 Training Battalion, Sukhovi, on 17th October, following proper official invitation from the authority concerned.
“Such callous treatment to the local media person by the Indian Security Force operating in Nagaland is not a new phenomenon, but in spite of the local media attempt to forge a cordial relation with the Indian SF by entertaining all its trivial invitations and press releases, at the cost of consuming precious time of the local journalists and space in the local dailies that could have been used to other constructive news, the Indian SF continues to look at the local media persons as either a security threat or some one who will always be there at their call and beckon”, stated a press note issued by DPC General Secretary, Dilip Sharma.
It stated that following repeated plea, in spite of being told that it would be near to impossible for the local journalist to cover the attestation parade function since it is too early (7:45 a.m.; to be picked up by the SF at 5 a.m.), the local journalist in all good faith consented to the SF request to cover the function. However, the SF, apparently, had other ideas. “The DPC wants to make it clear to the Indian Security Force that the Club is totally fed up with such high-handedness and will, henceforth, not tolerate any of their excesses. The ball is now in the Indian SF court on whether they want to forge a healthy relationship with the local media or otherwise”, the DPC stated.
