The PRESS CLUB OF INDIA, the greatest body of working and non working journalists in the country with a membership of more than eight thousand scribes has strongly condemned the lodging of a police case against the three members of the fact finding Committee of The Editors Guild of India including its president on the media coverage of the ethnic clash and Violence in Manipur. In a press release issued in New Delhi signed by the PCI president Umakant Lakhera and Secretary General Vinay Kumar it is said that the Press Club of India while strongly condemning the lodging of police case against the three member team of EGI including its president demands immediate withdrawal of the FIR against the three EGI members including its president terming the action as the STRONG ARM tactics by the state government which amounts to intimidation of the apex media body of the country. At the time when the violence marred Manipur needs utmost attention of the government, such a move by the state government will only make the matters worse and would be seen as a deliberate attempt to suppress the truth. It is a case of shooting the messenger rather than initiating measures to restore peace in the society said the press release. It may be recalled that instead of lauding the good efforts of the Editors Guild of India who did a commendable job to check the true ground situation meeting cross section of the people and authorities to bring truth to the fore which was being suppressed the police authorities have invoked section 66 A of the Information Technology Act even though the provision has been withdrawn by the apex court directing the government not to arrest anyone under this act made during colonial British era . The president of PCI Umakant Lakhera and General Secretary Vinay Kumar while strongly condemning this action demanded forthwith withdrawal of the case terming it as a strong Arm tactics of the government to suppress media freedom and free speech especially when journalists are trying to expose lies and bring truth to the fore as happened in Manipur strife torn state. The four senior journalists, members of the EGI fact finding team against whom the FIR has been registered by the Manipur police are Sanjay Kapoor, Seema Guha, Bharat Bhushan and the Guild’s president Seema Mustafa.
GOVIND GOPAL, GOVINDPUR-MUNOLI , DANYA, ALMORA. UTTARAKHAND
Every law enforcement agency must respect orders passed by Apex court. Journalists must be given full freedom to express their views. I support Freedom of speech and its practice all over the world.