Journalists Protest in Ranchi Over Alleged Assault on Woman Journalist

Demand Action Against Police Personnel, Justice for Victim

Ranchi: Journalists staged a protest at Firayalal Chowk in Ranchi on Saturday against the alleged assault of a woman journalist in Delhi. The protest was organised at the call of the Sahafi Association of Working Journalists, with a large number of journalists participating.

The protesters strongly condemned the incident and demanded strict action against the police personnel allegedly involved in the assault, along with justice for the woman journalist.

Addressing the gathering, journalists said that an attack on journalists is an attack on democracy. They termed the alleged assault on a woman journalist particularly serious and said that the media plays a vital role in raising public issues and bringing the truth before society.

The protesters raised slogans such as “Justice and Security for Journalists,” “Attack on Journalists is an Attack on Democracy,” “Safety of Women Journalists is Our Responsibility” and “Break the Silence, Raise Your Voice Against Injustice.”

Speakers said journalists must be provided a safe environment to perform their professional duties independently and fearlessly. Any form of violence, intimidation or misconduct against journalists, particularly women journalists, is a matter of serious concern for democratic values.

They demanded an impartial investigation into the incident and strict action against those found responsible. The journalists also stressed that ensuring the safety, dignity and freedom of the press is the responsibility of the government and administration.

Those present at the protest included former Ranchi Press Club president Rajesh Singh, Surendra Soren, Jharkhand state president of the Shramjeevi Patrakar Union Dharmendra Giri, Ranchi Press Club vice-president Vipin Upadhyay, district president of the Shramjeevi Patrakar Union Javed Akhtar, vice-president Wasim Alam, Syed Rameez, Shaheen Ahmed, Ghulam Shahid, Firoz Jilani, Asif Naeem, Rizvi, Asfar Nawaz, Danish Ayaz, Rahi, Mohammad Imran, Sanjeet Jha, Mohammad Rizwan and Alisha, among hundreds of journalists.

The protesters asserted that there would be no compromise on the safety and dignity of journalists and called for collective action against attacks on journalists across the country.