Newspapers fail to hit the stands in Manipur

Newspapers in Manipur failed to hit the stands today as publishing houses and journalists decided against bringing out the issues in protest against threat to a scribe by hill-based militants.

The All Manipur Working Journalists' Union (AMWJU) had launched a sit-in protest against the threat and decided to cease work yesterday.

Threats to media persons and media houses by militants has resulted in frequent non-publication of newspapers in the recent past, a spokesperson of the journalists' body said while appealing militants not to disturb freedom of the press in the state.

Militants of Hmar People's Convention-Democratic (HPC-D) threatened S Guite, a senior correspondent of popular 'Sangai Express', on Wednesday for publishing a news item related to the outfit.

The militants even threatened to shoot family members of Guite, a resident of Churachandpur district, reports from the district said.

Publication of dailies would resume today to hit the stands tomorrow morning.