Manipur journalists protest govt inaction over Gwaltabi incident

Imphal: Journalists under the banner of the All Manipur Working Journalists’ Union (AMWJU) and Editors' Guild Manipur (EGM) staged a sit-in protest in Imphal on Monday, expressing concern over the state government’s silence on the Gwaltabi incident.

The protest follows an incident on May 20, 2025, when a group of journalists travelling to Ukhrul district headquarters to cover the opening of the Shirui Lily Festival was stopped by security personnel at Gwaltabi under Litan Police Station.

The media organisations have termed the obstruction a violation of press freedom and the public’s right to information.

During the protest, journalists displayed placards with messages such as “No truth behind barricades, open Gwaltabi to journalists,” “Media gag is a sign of fear,” and “An attack on our journalist is an attack on democracy.”

The Governor of Manipur had constituted a two-member Inquiry Committee to investigate the incident. However, the findings of the committee have not been made public as of now.

In a statement, AMWJU said the state government has failed to take visible action or issue any clarification despite repeated appeals. The union stated that the response from the authorities is viewed as a serious concern for the state of press freedom in Manipur.