ITANAGAR, 4 Jul: The Arunachal Press Club (APC) and the Arunachal Pradesh Union of Working Journalists (APUWJ) have strongly condemned the alleged attempt to assault Nangram Kayang, a reporter for The Spark News, by Bengia Dongsu, the labour supervisor of Jainco Company (Package 7).
The apex media bodies received a formal complaint from Topan Rimo, the Chief Executive Officer of The Spark News, stating that the incident occurred on 2 July at Miba village when Kayang was investigating the prolonged blockage of the Sangram highway and the lack of response from the company.
An altercation ensued, during which the labour supervisor allegedly tried to assault the reporter and used derogatory language. Several people stranded on the highway witnessed the incident.
The APC and the APUWJ in a joint statement expressed deep concern over the incident and emphasised that such occurrences are unacceptable as they hinder free and fair functioning of the press, which is essential for a democratic society.
“Journalists play a crucial role in bringing important issues to light, and their safety must be a top priority. Any attempt to intimidate or harm them is an attack on the freedom of the press and democracy itself,” the media bodies said in the statement.
The organisations have demanded immediate and strict action against the individual responsible for the assault attempt, and a thorough investigation into the entire incident.