Media houses shut down publications in Arunachal Pradesh

All the media houses in Arunachal Pradesh today shut down their publication indefinitely fearing confrontation between media persons and Students' Union Movement of Arunachal (SUMA).

The students' body had planned to stage dharna in front of Arunachal Times, the first English daily from the state and accordingly the Capital Complex deputy commissioner Mige Kamki granted permission, which irked the media fraternity of the state. The Arunachal Press Club (APC) and Arunachal Pradesh Union of Working Journalists (APUWJ) in a joint representation to the Chief Minister's office yesterday, sought immediate suspension of Kamki for issuing permission to SUMA to hold dharna against the publication without verifying facts with the media bodies. "The DC's mindless action of granting permission to SUMA to hold dharna against the paper could undoubtedly result in confrontation between media persons and SUMA members, which has been coercing and threatening media persons to tow their line," the organisations said in the representation.

"This is unbecoming of an administrator for which we demand him to be suspended immediately and transferred with immediate effect in public interest. The irrational and foolish demand of SUMA had been permitted by DC Mige Kamki and it gives out the message that the state government is a party to curtailing the freedom of press and media in the state," the letter said.

It also sought refraining of SUMA president Biri Tabing and SUMA members from intimidating media houses and press persons in future and banning entry of any person into press houses and outlawing any person who enters press and media houses after 5 pm.