New Delhi: In a joint press statement, journalists unions including, Press Club of India (PCI), Indian Women’s Press Corps (IWPC), Press Association (PA), North-East Media Forum (NEMF) & Federation of Press Clubs in India (FPCI) expressed shock over the brutal murder of a young television journalist Santanu Bhowmik near Agartala in Tripura on Wednesday.
They strongly condemn the murderous assault on Santanu Bhowmik, 27, allegedly by the members of the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT). According to news reports, the journalist was attacked with sharp cutting weapons while covering a road blockade agitation of the IPFT.
The press note stated Santanu Bhowmik’s life was taken away by mindless violence when he was discharging his professional journalistic duties. It is a reckless, inhuman act to silence the voice of the free press in the country and an assault on the freedom of press.
The journalists unions demanded an impartial and swift probe into the murder of the young Tripura journalist so that culprits could be booked and brought to justice. They also expressed their solidarity and support to the Tripura Journalists’ Union in their protest against the murder. Apart from this, the unions further demanded that the State Government give adequate compensation to the family of the young journalist whose life was sniffed out in the line of duty. The Chief Minister should immediately hold consultations with the Agartala Press Club and Tripura Journalists’ Union for taking steps for safety and security of the journalists, they maintained.
The press note informed that a condolence and protest meeting will be held at the Press Club of India on Friday, Sept. 22 in the afternoon.