Journalist shot in violence-hit Manipur amid growing hostility to press
Imphal: A journalist was shot and injured in violence-hit Manipur, currently under the BJP government’s presidential rule, raising serious questions about press freedom and the hostile environment created for independent reporting in India.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Deep Saikia, a journalist with Nagaland-based Hornbill TV, was shot at in Laii village of Senapati district while covering a flower festival on Saturday evening.
Saikia, who hails from Assam’s Jorhat, was first taken to Senapati district hospital and later shifted to Nagaland for advanced treatment, police said.
The gunman was caught with an air gun by locals and handed over to the police. Authorities claimed they were investigating the motive.
Just days before the attack, Nagaland’s Deputy Chief Minister Yanthungo Patton had publicly berated Saikia in Wokha district over his factual reporting, exposing the mounting political hostility journalists face in the region.
Hornbill TV editor Dzuthono Mekro condemned the incident, describing it as an assault on press freedom and democratic values, and urged the governments of Nagaland and Manipur to ensure a thorough and impartial investigation.
