Statesman News Service
GUWAHATI, Feb. 16. — Three top-bracket news channels of the country, Zee News, Star News and Aaj Tak are under fire in Assam for failing to cover properly Friday's Kakopathar carnage and its follow-up that plunged the state into a turmoil.
The Assam Cable Ope-rators Confederation and the Greater Guwahati Cable Operators Association have decided to blace them out these three news channel on 17 and 18 February.
"This is an insult to the people of Assam. Kakopathar is just one instance — these news channels have the habit of not highlighting events un-folding in Assam and the North-east. They can't do this to the people of Assam which is very much part of India. They are mopping up revenue without giving due importance to the state. This can't continue," said Mr Sanjeeb Narayan, a spokesman for cable operators.
"This is only a token protest action. These three news channels should remain prepared to face an indefinite black-out if they fail to change their attitude," he said. Protests against the 10 February killings of at least nine unarmed persons who had been agitating against the death of Ajit Mahanta in the Army's custody, in police and CRPF firing at Kakopathar in Upper Assam continued to rage in different parts of the state much to the discomfort of Congress government.
Besides Opposition parties led by the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), NGOs and human rights organisations have orche-strated mass protests all over the state against the Kakopathar killings, demanding withdrawal of the Army from Assam so the nascent peace process with the banned rebel outfit, the Ulfa, can fructify.
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