India: CFWIJ condemns the crackdown initiated against journalist Grace Jajo

February 22, 2021, Imphal – Independent journalist Grace Jajo was barred from entering the Manipur legislative assembly without prior notice. The reason behind the decision was the critic that Grace posted on her social media. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) condemns the appalling crackdown against Grace. Journalists must freely be allowed to follow the news related to the state. 

According to Caravan, the journalist was forbidden from entering the Manipur legislative assembly without prior notice because of her post on Facebook. The journalist was notified when she went to follow the news and was informed that her permission to watch the session was revoked and she was banned from entering the assembly building. The next day, Raju Yanglem, legislation’s public relations officer, made a press release about her Facebook post saying Grace Jajo was blocking the entrance to the assembly for underestimating "The Privilege of the House."

The state legislature's secretariat stated on February 19, stating that the Imphal-based online news portal The Frontier Manipur violated the privilege of the house, following the last words of the state's prime minister, N Biren Singh. The next day, Grace took her Facebook account to post the report entitled “The Frontier Manipur explains breach of privilege and contempt of House Notice,” with the line in ‘Drama from the assembly’.

The violation of privilege movements is part of a wider crackdown by the Manipur government against journalists. On March 2, Grace appeared on a talk show hosted by Kishorechandra Wangkhem, a journalist in The Frontier Manipur. The 2021 Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Code of Ethics) rules were presented in the program for the first time. A week later, it was criticized by activists for severely restricting press freedom and digital rights. Later that day, the sanction was withdrawn, following an order from the announcement of the ministry of information and broadcasting.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism strongly condemns the state’s crackdown against journalists. We demand Imphal’s state to end the censorship against the journalists. Journalists have basic rights to follow up on the developments of the state and cannot be barred from it.