Indian Journalists Union (IJU) has expressed serious concern over the intimidation of banned separatist outfit United Liberation Front of Assam (Independent) to a Guwahati-based news channel editor for his views on three youths' departure to join the militant group.
In a statement, IJU said ULFA-(I) targeted a senior journalist of a local news channel following his comments that three detained Assamese youths, who seemingly went to join the outfit, if interrogated it would be clear who instigated them to take the path. Assam Rifles detained them from Mon district of Nagaland bordering Myanmar.
Questioning the journalist's rights to make such kind of comments, ULFA (I) warned him for the last time. The outfit further asked the journalist not to make such 'mistake' in future, otherwise the statement asserted, "the outfit would take any kind of steps" against him.
"Journalists have nothing to learn from a banned militant outfit, especially about their own profession. They will perform their duties according to their commitment to the medium as well as the nation," said IJU president K. Sreenivas Reddy and secretary general Balwinder Singh Jammu
In view of the same, the national union of scribes urged Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, also in charge of home portfolio, to look into the matter and take necessary actions.
