GUWAHATI, 19 Jan: The gender council of the Journalists’ Union of Assam (JUA) staged a demonstration here on Tuesday, protesting against the assault on a woman journalist of an Assamese daily by the organizers of an event at the Gauhati Press Club here.
Demanding justice for the journalist, the Gender Council of JUA president Samim Sultana Ahmed said, “It is unfortunate that a journalist has been assaulted while discharging her duty. We demand the police to investigate the matter thoroughly and ensure that the culprits are booked under stringent provisions of the law.”
She also demanded safety and security of journalists at workplace and field, and urged the media community to work in unison to achieve it.
While demanding security for journalists, Indian Journalists Union president Geetartha Pathak said that “asking tough questions by journalists is a part of responsible journalism and those who face journalists must respect the right of the journalists.”
Participating in the protest, the victim, Nipa Kakoty, who is the city correspondent of ‘Amar Asom’, demanded that the authorities investigate her case with utmost priority.
“I am suffering from a sense of fear now. I hope exemplary punishment is given to the culprits, so that no one else can attempt such an act in future,” Kakoty said.
JUA vice president Palash Ranjan Bora and JUA gender council general secretary Sushmita Goswami, among others, participated in the protest, which saw journalists from different media houses coming together and raising slogans demanding security for journalists and justice for Kakoty.
Kakoty was verbally abused and physically assaulted while putting questions at a programme to announce a new film based on the Northeast region, which was held at the Gauhati Press Club on 17 January.
She was dragged out of the programme by a male organizer while other invitees at the event made fun of her and hurled abusing languages.
She has filed an FIR at the all women’s police station in Panbazar, Guwahati, and the main accused – the director of the film and another organizer – have reportedly procured bail in the case.
The gender council of the JUA expressed grave concern at the granting of bail to the alleged accused without any investigation by the police.
