HT Correspondent
MARGHERITA, Sept 9: An urgent meeting was held at the All Assam Small Tea Growers’ office in Longtong, Udaipur, where journalists from Margherita, Bargolai, Ledo, Lekhapani, and Jagun areas decided to boycott the news of several organisations in the Margherita subdivision.
Rana Jyoti Neog, general secretary of the Tinsukia District Journalists Association and Margherita Journalists Association, stated that a press meet was organised on Monday at Paharpur by the Tirap Autonomous District Council Demand Committee, along with several other organisations. These included the All Assam Tangsa Student Union, All Assam Sema Naga Council, All Assam Singpho National Council, All Assam Mech Kachari Student Union, All Assam Adivasi Student Association (Tinsukia district committee), All Assam Tai Phakey National Council, All Assam Singpho Student Union, and All Assam Sema Student Union. The press meet focused on opposing the settlement of Laika-Dadhia people in the Paharpur area.
However, the event organisers invited journalists from Digboi and Tinsukia, which was seen as an insult to the local journalists of the Margherita region. Neog emphasised that while journalists from other areas are welcome to cover news, local journalists should be invited for news coverage, especially in matters affecting their region.
In response, local journalists from Margherita, including Sanjeev Deori, Pranjal Pratim Bhuyan, Anil Sharma, Tapan Dey, Tapan Gogoi, Moni Lahon, Himanta Chetia, Sarat Gogoi, Sujit Hatibaruah, Hemanta Ghosh, Jitu Gogoi, and Paban Dutta, have decided to indefinitely boycott news coverage of these organisations.
Rana Jyoti Neog has called on all journalists in Tinsukia district and student associations to unite and support this stance.
