Journalists from different media houses staged a sit-in-protest at Keishampat Leimajam Leikai, Imphal West on Friday in protest against the attack carried out on editor of Naharolgi Thoudang daily Khoirom Loyalakpa by armed miscreants. The protest demonstration was jointly organized by the All Manipur Working Journalists’ Union (AMWJU) and the Editors’ Guild of Manipur (EGM). AMWJU President Asem Bhakta said that the life attempt made on senior editor Khoirom Loyalakpa is highly condemnable. He demanded the concerned individuals/groups as clarify to why the attack was carried out on the senior editor.
Vice-president Sonia Sorensangbam described the attack on the editor as an assault on press freedom, saying such unfortunate incidents must not be allowed to occur in the future. Placards that read “We oppose attack on media persons”, “Stop intimidating media persons” etc. were held at the protest site. Khoirom Loyalakpa was intercepted by unidentified armed men while he was driving a car near Hatta cemetery in Imphal East district on Wednesday night. The armed men fired two rounds of gun shot into the rear window of the car and physically assaulted the journalist, leaving him badly injured.
