NPA asks law to act against harassment of press workers

Nagaland Post’s driver threatened by goons
Dimapur, Sep. 13 (EMN): The Nagaland Press Association (NPA) has asked law-enforcing authorities to act against the frequent harassment of members of the press. The organisation has also appealed to community authorities along highways to ensure the safety of people travelling in their regions.
The NPA issued a press release on Wednesday denouncing another act of affront against a press worker. It was informed that a driver of local newspaper Nagaland Post was abused by unidentified goons recently.
The NPA denounced what it called ‘manhandling and threat to life’ against an unidentified driver of Nagaland Post while on duty on September 12, by miscreants near Kandinu village under Tseminyu.
“The vehicle carrying daily newspapers to other districts was waylaid by miscreant(s) for reasons best known to them. After the vehicle was stopped, the miscreant(s) demanded to be dropped till Wokha,” the press release stated.
“However, when the driver refused to take them aboard the vehicle, one person tried to snatch away the vehicle keys and pull out the driver. As the driver resisted, the miscreant(s) verbally abused and threatened to kill the driver if they ever saw him plying along the area, claiming that it was their area.”
This is not the first incident for drivers plying along the route, the NPA stated. “When the media fraternity is carrying out its duty to serve people, such incidents act as a direct threat to the fourth estate,” the journalists stated.
‘Therefore, NPA appeals to the law enforcing agency and the concerned authorities of the jurisdiction to take strong action against such unlawful activities and miscreants.’
The NPA appealed to the law-enforcing agencies to step up security along the highway. To the village authorities along highway areas, it appealed to them to ensure safety of those travelling on a regular basis.”