The Hindu : National : Assam journalists demand security

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 08, 2006

National

National

Assam journalists demand security

Special Correspondent

Guwahati: Several journalist bodies staged a dharna before the Assam Assembly on Tuesday demanding punishment to culprits responsible for the murder of Prahlad Gowala, the Golaghat-based correspondent of an Assamese daily, and security to journalists.

The demonstrators shouted slogans against the Government for its alleged failure in bringing the culprits behind Gowala's murder to book and in checking the increasing incidents of attacks on journalists. Gowala was allegedly murdered by the timber mafia on January 6 for exposing malpractices in the Nambor forest range of upper Assam's Golaghat district.

Addressing the demonstrators, the Editor of Dainik Ajir Batori, Adip Kumar Phukan, the Editor of Asomiya Khabar, Atanu Bhuyan, and the Executive Editor of Asomiya Pratidin, Manjit Mahanta, expressed concern over the attacks on and intimidation of journalists and demanded that the Government take action against those behind such incidents.

Between 1991 and January 2006, 15 journalists have been killed by militants and the mafia.

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