annual report print final.qxd - Asian Centre for Human Rights

INDIA HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT 2005 Freedom of the press
In July 2004, the State government of
Manipur imposed censorship on the local
cable network news after it showed the
footage of the demonstration of Meira
Paibis, women activists, who stripped
themselves in front of the Assam Rifles
headquarters on 15 July 2004 to protest
against the killing of Manorama Devi.
The journalists also faced violent
attacks from the police and other law
enforcement personnel while covering
events and collecting news.
On 23 July 2004, Thiyam Ranjan
Singh, a senior reporter of vernacular daily
Sanaleibak was allegedly assaulted by
personnel of Manipur Rifles and State
police at his residence at Keishampat
Leimajam Leikai. The security forces
knocked at the door of Ranjan’s house and
assaulted him by kicking with boots and
hitting with gun butts in spite of identifying
himself as a media person by producing his
press identity card. The reporter sustained
head injuries and had to be hospitalized.
Following protests, three riflemen of 2nd
Battalion Manipur Rifles- Kh Kesho Singh
(Rfn No 09941018), M Tomba Singh (Rfn
No 09981201) Yamtong Haokip (Rfn No
23039), and a State police constable
identified as Md Azad Khan were
reportedly suspended on 23 July 2004. 4
On 17 April 2004, Assam Police
personnel forced many people including
women and journalist, Kunja Mohan Roy
to kneel down for half an hour by the side
of the road during a check near the
Guwahati Commerce College. The police
were reportedly searching for the ULFA
276
cadres. 5 On 18 April 2004, Chief Minister
Tarun Gogoi reportedly ordered a probe
into the incident headed by Additional
Chief Secretary S. Kabilan.6
On 13 May 2004, over a dozen
journalists were injured in the assault by
the police at a vote counting center in the
government polytechnic institute at
Gandhinagar and at Bikram Chowk, in
Jammu. Police reportedly lathicharged and
brutally assaulted female scribes at
polytechnic institute. When scribes
blocked the road at Bikram Chowk
protesting the assault on the female
scribes, the police resorted to lathicharge.
At least three journalists had to be shifted
to Government medical college hospital
for treatment. 7
At least 10 persons including the
correspondent of Assamese daily Dainik
Janambhumi based at Jamugurihat, Golap
Kalita and his wife Anjali Kalita, were
seriously injured when a group of Assam
Police Black Panther commandoes
attacked the innocent public of
Karchantola area in Sonitpur district of
Assam on 27 June 2004 night at around
8.30 pm. The Assam Police personnel in
civil dress took country liquor at a local
hotel of Karchantola Centre after which
they quarreled with businessmen. Two
cases have been registered on the basis of
the FIR lodged by Babul Borah and Golap
Kalita at Jamuguri Police Station and the
District Collector of Sonitpur, LS
Changsan has also ordered a magisterial
probe into the incident headed by Unnat
Baruah, SDO (Sadar), Tezpur. 8