Scribes unsafe in NE: report

The IFJ report also put on record that altogether 17 journalists including Parag Kumar Das,executive editor of Asomiya Pratidin,were killed in Assam since 1991.

The report also referred to the situation in Manipur,and said journalists work under totally unsafe conditions in the hill state which has about 35 armed insurgent groups. Security of journalists in Manipur,which has an estimated 35 insurgent groups in a population of three million,has always been a cause of concern, the report said.

In Manipur,local papers have often resorted to suspending publication following occasional threats from militant groups. Most of the time,such groups want newspapers to carry their statements without any editing,at the same time pressing them not to publish statements of their opposing outfits.