IMPHAL, Nov 21 : Taking strong exception against the failure of the State Government to depute any responsible person to the All India Radio station, Imphal following the two bomb blasts at the radio station yesterday in which two security personnel were injured, the AIR, Imphal has decided not to cover the ongoing Sangai Festival.
To protest the indifference of the State Government as well as the two bomb blasts, officers and employees of AIR, Imphal staged a dharna in front of the radio station today.
After taking cognizance of the indifference of the State Government, it was decided that AIR, Imphal will not cover any event related to the Sangai Festival.
Officers and staff of AIR, Imphal expressed deep displeasure that the State Government seems to be more concerned with organising the Sangai Festival overlooking the service of the radio in providing information to the public for the last 53 years, during all odd times including bandhs, blockades and curfews.
During the protest today, the employees held placards embossed with words such as ‘Radio is for the public’, ‘Do not disturb us in discharging our duty’, ‘With the mela comes the bomb’, ‘Do not panic us’, ‘Do not harass us in the name of Sangai Festival’, ‘Why bomb the office of the radio’, etc.
Highlighting that all employees and officers of AIR, Imphal have been putting up with several inconveniences whenever the Sangai Festival is held, they said that there have been instances in the past when security personnel had detained and harassed the staff of AIR, Imphal despite showing them their ID cards, despite sticking the AIR logo on their vehicles etc.
Source: Sangai Express
