By Nava Thakuria*
JFA demands stern actions against lady scribe abusers
Guwahati: Journalists’ Forum Assam (JFA), expressing serious concerns over an unprecedented incident of abusing a lady scribe of a city based Assamese daily newspaper at Guwahati Press Club during a formal press meet by the organisers, demanded exemplary punishments to the verbal and physical abusers.
The lady scribe has lodged an FIR at Panbazar all women police station. The forum urged the State police chief Bhaskar J Mahnata to take personal interests in punishing the culprits. Moreover, it requested the press club authority to cooperate with the investigating police personnel with necessary supports including the required CCTV visuals.
Media reports and personal inputs from the victim reporter reveal that the press meet was organised by film producer Umashankar Jha and actor Uttam Singh at the press club auditorium on 16 January 2021, where the scribe was subjected to verbal and later physical abuses in the full public view.
“It is shocking that an attending reporter can be subjected to ill-treatments in a formal press meet organised at the press club premises. All sensitive and responsible members of the press club must stand united against the offense,” said a JFA statement.
*Nava Thakuria is a senior journalist and secretary of Journalist Forum Assam
