Nava Thakuria
Mon, 17 Aug 2009 15:05:35 -0700
Dear editor/friends, Namaskar. Here is a news item for your information and use. Regards, Nava Thakuria, Secretary, Guwahati Press Club, Assam (m) 098640 44917
PM promises action in Assam scribe murder case Guwahati: The Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has promised to take initiative on the process to nab the killers of Assam based journalist Kamala Saikia, who was murdered by the separatist militants 18 years ago. Dr Singh was briefed about the professional hazard of media persons in Assam-where more than 20 editor-journalists had fallen prey to various anti-social elements in the last two decades-by the Editors Guild of India president Rajdeep Sardesai during a meeting on August 14 in PMO. Interacting with the editor’s guild president, the prime minister assured to raise the matter with the Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi once again. Dr Singh, who represents Assam in Rajya Sabha, also expressed his willingness to meet a delegation from Journalist Kamala Saikia Memorial Trust during his next visit to Guwahati. Mentionable that Sardesai came to Guwahati to deliver the 8th Kamala Saikia memorial lecture on August 9 to commemorate the death anniversary of the freedom fighter turned teacher-journalist. Saikia was killed on August 9, 1991 by the intolerant militants belonged to the banned United Liberation Front of Asom to stop his critical write ups against the outfit. Sardesai, who is the Editor-in-Chief of CNN-IBN, was handed over a memorandum by the JKSM Trust during his stay in Guwahati, where it was expressed anger at the unexpected delay in the investigation process to identify and punish the killers of Saikia. “It is a matter of grave concern that the family of a journalist, who was killed to stop his critical writings against the banned outfit, has to wait for justice for all these long years. Even today, the family and the entire media community of Assam do not have any idea, if justice will be delivered in the coming days,” said in the memorandum. Demanding a prompt investigation, the JKSM Trust had also submitted two memorandums to the State chief minister Gogoi. The trust has been organizing the memorial lectures annually with the support from Guwahati Press Club.