IMPHAL, November 18: The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliates the Indian Journalists Union (IJU) and the National Union of Journalists, India (NUJI) in condemning the directive made to editors of six Nagaland-based media houses in northern India by a Colonel of the General Staff for Assam Rifles, a paramilitary force, on October 25, said a statement of the federation.
It said the IFJ believes the directive stifles press freedom and urges that it be immediately withdrawn.
The directive issued by the Assam Rifles, the oldest paramilitary force in India, bans the re-publication of press statements from the banned organization, NSCN (K), it said.
The directive said that ‘publication of press statements of a banned organization was complicit in the illegal activities of the banned organization,’ it said.
The diktat went on to request that the Nagaland State government take action against any newspapers that do not follow the order, saying ‘any article which projects the demands of NSCN (K) and gives it publicity is a violation under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967, and should not be published by your newspaper’ it continued.
The IJU has protested against the notice to editors last week and is taking up the matter with the Press Council of India, it said.
The IFJ said “The IFJ condemns the directive issued by the Assam Rifles against Nagaland’s local media. The paramilitary force has no right to directly communicate with the editors regarding the content and coverage of the media. The IFJ demands the immediate withdrawal of the directive.”