Kept waiting for more than 7 hours, journalists decide to walk out of CM's event in Silchar

Journalists who came to cover the Chief Minister’s event on Thursday in Silchar were kept waiting for seven hours. The security personnel at the deputy commissioner’s office misbehaved with the press present. As a result, the journalists decided to boycott the Chief Minister’s press conference. Sarbananda Sonowal was in Barak Valley for a one-day visit. While he was scheduled to tour all three districts to review the landslide affected areas where 21 people died recently, due to bad weather conditions his convoy could not take off from Borjhar airbase in time and thus he had to trim his trip.

At around 10 am, the government’s information and public relations office sent a message inviting every journalist from the valley to attend the chief minister’s briefing. It was said that the CM would brief the journalists at 12.30 pm at the deputy commissioner’s office. Sonowal reached the office premises at around quarter to four. He was accompanied by MP Rajdeep Roy, Forest Minister Parimal Shuklabaidya, Deputy Chairman Aminul Haque Laskar and MLAs from Cachar and Karimganj districts.

It was said that the CM  would also plant trees as soon as he arrived. Young students of different government schools were waiting with the environment day placards in their hands since morning. However, he went straight to the conference room, without greeting these children.

After waiting for close to seven hours, the journalists were told that the CM will brief the press from a makeshift podium set up near the staircase at the deputy commissioner’s office. The place happened to be a congested pavement near the common washroom. To avoid foul odour, and unnecessary gathering, the journalists decided to remain scattered while the cameraperson kept their equipment at the briefing point. All of a sudden, security personnel confronted the press and physically pushed a few away to make way for the delegation moving around.
While the journalists calmly handled the situation, the officials did not pay heed to the security’s misbehaviour. On the contrary, they continued to impart knowledge of social distance. At one point, the journalists, feeling extremely humiliated, decided that they would not stand there anymore. They discussed among themselves and decided to boycott the CM’s press briefing. Following which, everyone started leaving the office

Additional Superintendent of Police Jagadish Das and Chief Minister’s OSD Shekhar Dey rushed out seeing the journalists leaving. Then came MP Rajdeep Roy, deputy speaker Aminul Haque Laskar and Forest & Environment Minister Parimal Suklabaidya. The journalists explained to them about what transpired between them and the security officers. The reporters also protested by raising slogans against the administration, DIPRO who kept them waiting for close to seven hours.

After staying at bay for such long hours to get a statement of the Chief Minister, the journalists felt humiliated by the way DIPRO handled the situation. If the CM had such a packed schedule, why did the government’s public relation office invite the press at 12:30 pm?

For the reporters, it is not a matter of belittling the authorities or exhibiting the power of the press by boycotting the event. It was just an attempt to raise voice against the ill-treatment for those providing essential service.