July 20

• Press fraternity, volunteers stage dharna, demand justice  for Tongam
• Tongam recovering, parents thank civil society
• Condemnations continue to pour in
• Protest against assassination bid on journo; CBI probe demanded

Press fraternity, volunteers stage dharna, demand justice  for Tongam

ITANAGAR, Jul 19: Hundreds of volunteers and  journalists under the banner of Arunachal Press Club and  Arunachal Pradesh Union of Working Journalists today staged dharna in front of  state  Assembly, Naharlagun seeking  justice  for  Tongam Rina, Associate Editor of the  Arunachal Times.

Clad with black costume, the volunteers  and  scribes  shouted slogans – ‘We want justice for Tongam Rina.’ Expressing resentment over the failure of the law enforcing authority to nab the culprit who shot at Tongam Rina on Sunday last, they further demanded security to all media persons in the state.

 

 

Tongam recovering, parents thank civil society

ITANAGAR, Jul 19: The condition of  the  Arunachal Times Associate Editor Tongam Rina is reported to be stable. She is now recuperating under the medical observation of  the team of doctors at R K Mission Hospital here.

Earlier on Sunday night she underwent a surgery to have a bullet removed from her lower abdomen.

The parents of Tongam Rina thanked those who helped their daughter through most difficult time in her life.

It has been a moving moment for us to see the love and affection that our daughter Tongam has received. It is a humbling experience,  Banyak Rina and Kento Rina,  mother and father of Tongam Rina said.

“We are extremely moved by the tremendous amount of support and goodwill that has been extended to our family by people from across Arunachal and from the country and abroad.

“We would like to express our deepest gratitude to everyone for giving us the strength to face this difficult time. It is really impossible to name all persons or organizations, but we are enormously grateful to everyone who has extended their support and solidarity in one form or the other- from young people who have held protest marches in the capital city and elsewhere, to the media fraternity, to people who have visited her and those who have expressed solidarity in many other forms. We remain thankful to you. We would also like to apologize to the many visitors who have come to the Ramakrishna Mission Hospital but was prevented from seeing her. She is still very weak and she is unable to meet visitors. We hope you will forgive this and understand the situation.”

“We would be wrong if we do not thank the Secretary of the Ramakrishna Mission Hospital, all its doctors, nurses, staff and even the doctors from other hospitals who have been giving her the maximum care round the clock. If our daughter lives today, it is entirely because of their efforts. Our family will forever be indebted to each one of them.”

“Yet what is done cannot be made to change. Our only appeal is now to the government to spare no efforts in finding and arresting the person or persons who committed the crime. The ongoing investigations have to take into account the various threats that she had received earlier, the attacks on her and her office and to find out why a planned assassination bid like this was carried out. Justice must be delivered to our daughter whose only fault perhaps lay in the fact that she believed in her work and is committed to it.  Failure to arrest the perpetrator will be a betrayal to her and her fraternity. We firmly hope that the assurances given to us by Governor J J Singh and by the Chief Minister to find the offenders at the earliest will be upheld.”

“We would also appeal that, should circumstances be so, even the option of inviting the CBI to take up the case must also be explored. Our family believes and is firmly committed in its stand that the culprit does not belong to any specific community or clan. They belong to a nameless body that has no respect for human life or human dignity. We appeal to everyone to help in the investigations by offering any leads or information that might lead to the arrest of the culprits.”

“These few days have been a heart-wrenching experience. We are shattered in ways more than one. There is anger in our hearts for what has happened to Tongam. But we also want to reach out to the culprit and people who have engaged them and ask how they would feel if someone close to their hearts lay battling for her life like Tongam is doing? As we try and imagine the face of the person who has done this to our daughter, we hope in our hearts that such acts of extreme hate and violence will not re-occur in our state, which has always prided itself for its community bonding and unity.”

 

 

Condemnations continue to pour in

ITANAGAR, Jul 19: Condemnations continue to pour in from all sections of the society over life attempt on Associate Editor of The Arunachal Times Tongam Rina.

Condemning the attack and terming it as dastardly act, Paktu Area Peoples Forum (PAPF) and Paktu Ao Youth Welfare Association (PAYWA) appealed to the state government to provide adequate security to all the media persons and houses in Arunachal Pradesh.

“A state without freedom of media is like a state of anarchy,” both the organizations said in joint statement and urged the Government to protect and uphold the rights to freedoms of expression in the state.

Expressing their solidarity with Tongam and the Media houses of the State PAPF and PAYWA prayed for speedy recovery of Tongam. It also appealed to all sections of the society to fight against such inhumane activities.

Impulse NGO Network Shillong vehemently condemned the attack on Tongam.

“The government should ensure the safety of the media personnel who take up so much risk and courage to bring information and truth to the public. We all need to protest and stand together and ensure that the government takes stern action and takes positive step to ensure safety of press personnel,” Impulse NGO Network said in a release. It also requested all media partners to stand together and ask for proper government investigation as soon as possible and bring justice to her.

“We all need to stand together and support her in her critical times, the release said while wishing her a swift recovery.

Manipur Hills Journalist Union while expressing shock over life attempt on the associate editor of this daily, said that journalists in North East Region are becoming easy targets of miscreants. The Union demanded the state government to take strongest action against the culprits and safeguard the journalists in North East India.

The members of Kargu Gamgi-Itanagar expressed shock over attack on the lady journalist.

Firing at an unarmed lady is an inhumane and cowardly act which deserves condemnation in strongest term from all sections of the society. Nobody has the right to take law into their own hand and terrorize the peace loving fellow citizens, Kargu Gamgi president said in a release.

The president, on behalf of the members of Kargu Gamgi, appealed to all, especially capital dwellers to maintain peace and extend cooperation to the police in identifying and apprehending the culprits.

The Kargu Gamgi also demanded appointment of an independent Home Minister at the earliest to contain the growing low and order problem.

All India Rajeev Gandhi Vichar Manch International also condemned the attack on senior journalist.

 

 

Protest against assassination bid on journo; CBI probe demanded

Correspondent

PASIGHAT, Jul 19: Activists from various organizations today staged demonstration in front of  East Siang Deputy Commissioner’s office and held rally protesting the attack on journalist Tongam Rina.

The members of AAPSU, All East Siang District Students’ Union (AESDSU), Central & Eastern Arunachal People’s Organization, Adi Students Union, All Bogong Students’ Union, Bosing Bango Students’ Union, Lego Banggo Students’ Union, Ramle Banggo Students’ Union, district unit of All Galo Students’ Union, Galo Welfare Society, Forum for Siang Dialogue (FSD) besides PRI leaders and eminent citizens of the district staged the dharna shouting slogan for justice.

They took out a rally in the main thoroughfare of Pasighat township holding banners, placards and black flag shouting slogans against the ruling government demanding justice for Tongam Rina. They demanded the Government for handing over the ongoing investigation of the incident to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Addressing the rally, AAPSU spokesperson Tobom Dai alleged that state government has utterly failed to maintain law and order situation in the state. Despite repeated appeals, the government has not taken up the issue seriously, the AAPSU leader said adding that the lives and property of the common people are not safe under ruling state government.

“Attack on journalist is akin to attack on democracy, Bijoy Taram, publicity secretary of FSD opined. Such kind of barbaric act to muffle media voice cannot be tolerated by the elite societies, he said.

Flaying the state government for failing to nab the culprits, Galo Welfare Society president Takir Kakki said that the lackadaisical attitude of the law enforcing authority towards criminal activities has encouraged crimes in the state. He demanded for handing over the investigation into the attack on the journalist to CBI without any further delay.

Later, Galo Welfare Society, AESDSU and East Siang unit of AdiSU separately submitted memoranda to the Governor of Arunachal through the East Siang district administration, seeking his intervention in handing over case to CBI at the earliest. They have also set an ultimatum of seven days to the state government to arrest the criminals failing which they would launch vigorous movement against the Govt inaction.

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News Impact

Felicitations

ITANAGAR, Jul 19: Dem Literary and Cultural Society, Pistana circle has felicitated Dr Neelam Nega, who was selected for the post of DSP in recent APPSCC examination, Likha Teji, Sensei Likha Tara and other outstanding academic performers of Dem village.

Addressing the felicitation function held on July 13 last, Chairman of the Society, Er Likha Tasi, Dr. Neelam Nega and Likha Teji advised the youths of the society to devote in their study and professional careers to become responsible citizens.

 

GASA bans donation

ITANAGAR, Jul 19: Guwahati Arunachal Students’ Association (GASA) said that it has already banned collection of donation by unknown persons. It appealed to the people not to donate any kind of donation in the name of GASA to any individuals.

 

Association opposes Pawan Hans service

ITANAGAR, Jul 19: All Arunachal Contractors Welfare Association, in a memorandum, has demanded the state Govt to completely ban Pawan Hans Helicopter service in the state.

It appealed to the Govt to allow only a competent and trustworthy company to operate Chopper service in the state. The association said that people of the state have already had a bitter experience with Pawan Hans which led to suspension of its services in the state.

What’s going on !

Dear Editor,

The brutal attack on “The Arunachal Times” Associate Editor Tongam Rina was really a cowardice act. What is going on in our State ? Is our state  really peaceful, a safe place for media persons ?

Whenever we talk about media (The Mirror of Society) we should remember that media  help the common men to form their own opinions about politics, economics and the social aspects of life. But, if the mediapersons are attacked, how  they will perform ? I definitely agreed with Nomni Pertin who said it is too much.  Why the people do not understand the freedom of Press ?

Yes, it is not the first time, media persons and media houses were attacked many  a times earlier. So I sincerely appeal to  the authorities of our state to provide security for media fraternity and take action against the culprits so that journalists can work without any obstacle.

Yours,

Minseng Pertin

Naharlagun.

 

 

It is attack on freedom of expression

Dear Editor,

Repeated attacks on the Press  and  media  in  Arunachal Pradesh is a great cause of concern for us . The most recent is the attack on senior journalist Tongam Rina by unidentified gunman in the heart of the city. If criminals can commit crime in broad daylight and escape, then it puts a big question on the law and order situation in the state. It is not only a question for the safety and security of Press and media alone but also about safety of general public. I wonder why capital police are having tolerant attitude towards such hardcore criminals. In the past too, we have been hearing of such attacks but unfortunately we never heard of taking any actions.

So in order to stop further crimes, law enforcing authority must act now and give exemplary punishment to perpetrators of cowardice act. Attack on Press is attack on our freedom of expression.

Yours’

Kimlong Longri

Jairampur

Snow leopard  and climate change

Snow leopards, an endangered species with a remaining population roughly estimated to be between 4,000 and 6,500 individuals, are sparsely distributed in the mountains of northern and central Asia, including part of the Himalaya Mountains.  

In the Himalayas, snow leopards live in high alpine areas, above the treeline and generally below 5,000 meters, where they are able to stealthily track their prey.

According a new study carried out by WWF scientists if greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase steadily, 30 per cent of snow leopard habitat in the Himalayas may be lost to treeline shift. The study shows that climate change presents a heightened threat for snow leopards in the Himalaya Mountains and warmer and wetter conditions in the Himalayas will likely result in forests ascending into alpine areas, the snow leopards’ preferred habitat.

Researchers identified areas that are likely to remain resilient to the effects of climate change, and would thus provide habitat to snow leopards under future climate conditions.  Many of these areas span national boundaries, emphasizing the need for trans-boundary cooperation to protect this rare species.

Researchers also emphasised the need to minimise pervasive threats like illegal hunting, human-wildlife conflict, and over-grazing of livestock in snow leopard habitat.  Minimising these concurrent threats will help snow leopards better deal with the additional stress of losing habitat to climate change.