The Indian Journalists Union strongly condemns the assault on journalist Hofe Dada of digital media outlet ‘Gyoloo News’ in Arunachal Pradesh, on Monday by four men at the premises of a factory of SMS Smelters Ltd, in Lekhi Village, threatening him not to report. Dada filed a complaint with the Nirjuli police station and the IJU demands that the culprits be brought to book immediately.   

Dada had gone to the SMS Smelters Ltd Salasar factory on Monday, to do a report on it as it is categorised under “Red” (highly polluting industries), having maximum production capacity of 1000M/T annually. Set up in 2004, it is in the heart of the thickly populated township at Lekhi village at Naharlagun (Itanagar), spews out plume of smoke from its chimneys visible from miles and has impacted the lives of residents of Lekhi, Model & Lekhi village and Nirjuli areas. Dada was accosted by the four men and threatened not to report or else he would meet the same fate as senior journalist Tongam Rina, who was shot at her office in Itanagar in 2012.

The men were unwilling to heed to his pleas that the factory had affected the lives of the villager and he was forced to leave after he was allegedly slapped by one of them without any provocation. He has filed a complaint at the Nirjuli Police Station and a case has been registered.

Joining its affiliate, the Arunachal Pradesh Union of Working Journalists, IJU President Geetartha Pathak and Secretary General Sabina Inderjit said in a statement that attempts to intimidate the media in the State are growing and the government must ensure the safety of journalists. It’s clear that the four men blocked Dada from carrying out his duty and it was an attempt to gag freedom of the press. As the case is registered, the IJU demands that police expedite investigations and take necessary action against the culprits, to send a strong message that such attempts to harass the journalists are not acceptable.