A brazen act of intimidation shook the journalistic community in Manipur as armed miscreants threatened a reporter of Imphal Times, Khumanthem Dhanachandra, for his reporting. Demanding immediate legal action, journalists’ fraternity has given the government a five-day ultimatum to apprehend the culprits.On May 9, around 10 armed individuals in combat attire wielding sophisticated weapons visited Dhanachandra’s residence in Naoremthong, Imphal West district, at 8:45 pm. Finding the reporter absent, they issued threats to his family members instead.
Expressing grave concern over the incident, the All Manipur Working Journalists’ Union (AMWJU) and Editors’ Guild Manipur (EGM) convened an emergency meeting. In a joint statement, they condemned the attack and demanded swift government action within five days. The armed miscreants, arriving in three vehicles, instructed Dhanachandra to meet them at a specified location in Imphal West at 10 am the next day. This blatant attempt to silence the media is deplorable, asserted the organisations, highlighting Dhanachandra’s role as a member of AMWJU’s RTI Cell.
EMG and AMWJU emphasized the seriousness of the incident and called for appropriate legal measures against the perpetrators. They warned of strong agitation if their demands were not met within the stipulated five days. Furthermore, the release urged against future threats to media personnel, stressing the importance of respecting AMWJU’s code of conduct and local adjustments. Dissatisfied parties were encouraged to engage with media firms, editors, AMWJU, or EGM to address grievances, rather than resorting to violence or intimidation.