No newspapers in Itanagar as media houses to shut indefinitely

There were no newspapers here today after it was decided by the Arunachal Press Club and the Arunachal Pradesh Union of Working Journalists to shut all media houses indefinitely fearing confrontation with the Students' Union Movement of Arunachal (SUMA).

The Press Club and the Union of Working Journalists protested against the permission given by Deputy commissioner Mige Kamki of the Capital Complex police for a dharna yesterday by the student organisation before the office of the Arunachal times.

The media bodies in a joint representation to the chief minister's office sought immediate suspension of Kamki for giving permission to SUMA to hold the dharna against the publication without verifying facts.

They also sought restraining of SUMA president Biri Tabing and SUMA members from intimidating media houses and press persons and sought a ban on entry to media houses and the press after 5:00 pm.

"SUMA is known throughout the state because of the wide publicity given by the state media. Regrettably, of late this organisation has started dictating terms amounting to muzzling the freedom of the press and media," the organisations said.

They warned that if any untoward incident occurred which put media houses and media persons in danger, the blame would be placed on the administration and the capital DC, SP and the state government.