Page 41 - 15MAY2019E

media

However the CAB issue reached to ligence agencies and banned terrorist However, the LRO convener lately
the media fraternity of Assam in a differ- groups to media owners and all other made it clear that they opposed the edi-
ent incarnation as a Maharashtra based possible aspects related to it’. The letter tors for spreading anti-national propa-
voluntary organization lodged an offi- also added that on various occasions, gandas during the turmoil and certainly
cial complaint against five media outlets these media outlets had openly pro- not for their stand in favour or against
alleging that those exploited the turmoil fessed the need to take up arms against of the CAB. Asserting that they respect
over CAB and helped banned militant New Delhi and broadcast propaganda anyone’s stand on political issues, the
outfits in their fresh recruitment drives. videos of militant cadres. convener reiterated that they would
Following the accusation of Legal Rights Responding to the LRO letter, Union continue pursuing with the responsible
Observatory (LRO), the Union Home home ministry official Sanjeev Kumar authorities against the violent propa-
Ministry had asked the State government sent an official communiqué to Assam ganda so that Assam can be saved from
in Dispur to take necessary actions. police chief Kuladhar Saikia and State burning again.
Vinay Joshi, convener of LRO in his home secretary Ashutosh Agnihotri Earlier a Guwahati based concerned
public grievance petition sent on 14 Feb- on 16 April directing to take necessary citizen (Biswajit Nath) sent a memo-
ruary 2019 accused four editors namely actions in the matter. However the com- randum to PMO describing suspicious
Ajit Kumar Bhuyan (chief editor of Prag muniqué had neither mentioned of any behaviour of some print and electronic
News channel), Nitumoni Saikia (editor enquiry against the concerned editors media outlets of the State. His letter on
of Pratidin Time news channel), Man- nor asked for any follow-up report from 26 November 2018 asserted that a sec-
jit Mahanta (former executive editor of the State government. tion of scribes always glorified the insur-
Asomiya Pratidin newspaper) and Afrida But twisted with facts, few media gents and often highlighted Ulfa(I) leader
Hussain (editor of InsideNE news portal) outlets reported that the Centre was Barua with live interviews. As usual, the
of propagating militant’s ideology to give going for investigations against the edi- Centre on 22 February asked the State
them a fresh boost in the sideline of anti- tors who opposed the CAB and actions government to take appropriate actions
CAB rows. against them. They simply projected the in the matter.
The LRO letter also urged the ministry issue as an anti-media conspiracy of the
to ‘investigate role of suspicious Assam Union government led by Prime Minis- The author is a Northeast India-based
media outlets and their owners, their ter Narendra Modi and tried to gather media activist
financial transactions, source of income, moral supports from the media frater-
possible flow of funds from foreign intel- nity across the country. letters@tehelka.com

Tehelka / 15 may 2019 41 www.Tehelka.com