Accusing national newspapers of always subduing the voice of the people of the Northeastern states, particularly Manipur, the Apunba Lup on Tuesday announced a ban on the circulation of"The Telegraph" in Manipur.
The outfit cited the September 5 edition of the newspaper under the headline "˜Irom speaks up on romance" by its correspondent who wrote :"Irom Chanu Sharmila, the world"™s longest hunger-striker and a living legend in Manipur, has told
The Telegraph she has fallen in love but her supporters are against her marrying the man."
The story quoted Sharmila as having said that she was in love with Desmond Coutinho, a British citizen of Goan descent but her supporters were against the relationship.
The Apunba Lup alleged that the report was an attempt to divert the attention of people from Sharmila"™s 11-year old struggle and that the journalist was sent to Imphal by the newspaper in collusion with the Government of India"with a hidden agenda".
Apunba alleged that from the very beginning, the newspaper never gave a prominent coverage to the people"™s anti-AFSPA uprising witnessed in the state as well as Irom"™s 11-year struggle for repeal of the AFSPA.
"So far we never see her fasting struggle as well as people"™s demand for repeal of the AFSPA make headlines in this newspaper. But, when Sharmila expressed her emotional and personal feelings, they took seriously and made it headline, why?," asked Phulindro, one of Apunba Lup"™s coordinators.
The coordinators were addressing reporters after
a meeting of the pressure group held in Manipur Press Club, Imphal. Apunba resolved to impose ban on the circulation of The Telegraph in Manipur with immediate effect.
Phulindro said the ban would continue till the newspaper"™s editor goes to Imphal and offer personal apology to the people of Manipur.
"We think this is an act of insult not only to Sharmila but also to the people of Manipur. As such we ban this newspaper. And I am not sure when this ban will be lifted," he said.
Johnson, another coordinator, accused the newspaper of being"anti-people so far as people of Manipur and issues before them are concerned."
He said the newspaper was only interested in picking out"flip side of the main box" to give a wrong impression to the people"™s voice against any issues.
He said not only The Telegraph but also other national newspapers which did the same to"try to subdue the voice of people here."
Copies of The Telegraph were burned by the coordinators after coming out from the Manipur Press Club, Imphal. The Sharmila Kanba Lup and Keishamthong Humanitarian Development Committee also torched the copies of the newspaper