India: media worker assaulted for covering protest
Event- Country
- India
- Initial Date
- Aug 1, 2024
- Event Description
About the Human Rights Defenders: Mr. Rameshchandra Singh @ RC Mangangcha, is a reporter of IMPACT-TV Channel Background: Since May 2023, ethnic violence between two communities Meitei and Kuki-Zo has been taking place in the state of Manipur leading to loss of many innocent citizens’ lives and injuries, arson, assault and other heinous crimes. The said communal clash is continuing 16 months after its beginning. The journalists, who cover the news of the conflict have been doing so at great personal risk to their lives. Details of the Incident: On August 01, 2024, about 100 inmates/internal displaced persons (IDPs) staying at the Relief Camp opened inside the campus of Ideal Girls’ College, Akampat, Imphal East District held a protest rally in Imphal against the Government demanding to return to their respective homes and seeking the resettlement and rehabilitation in their native places. The said inmates were mainly from Myanmar border town Moreh and the rally was organised by the Protection of Meitei Victims, Moreh. The Manipur Police fired tear gas at the protestors marching towards Manipur Legislative Assembly. Admit the tension, some persons among the IDPs turned aggressive and pelted stones at the police forcing the latter to unleash tear gas shells to control the situation and herd back the protestors. With the confrontation taking place close to a girls school namely Ideal Girls’ School, Akampat, many students lost consciousness and were stricken with fear due to harsh action of the police as well as inhalation of tear gas and mock bomb fumes and had to be taken to hospital for further treatment. Mr. Rameshchandra Singh @ RC Mangangcha, a reporter of IMPACT-TV Channel was assigned for coverage of the said incident. The Police personnel fired mock bomb and tear gas shells to the rally of IDPs to disperse them when he reached at the spot near Singjamei Bridge at about 11.30 am. Then, one police personnel asked him whether he was from the press when they saw him covering the incident by using his mobile phone camera. Then Mr. Rameshchandra Singh replied that he is a journalist and thereby showed his identity card. However, one Police Officer/Sub-Inspector Sub Inspector Sh. Nikhil Singh rushed him and broken his mobile by throwing it on the road and started mercilessly assaulted the reporter with tear gas gun without hearing his repeated request/clarification. Mr. Rameshchandra Singh was brought to the Raj Medicity, a private hospital for treatment.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Violence (physical)
- Wounds and Injuries
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression
- Offline
- Right to healthy and safe environment
- Freedom of expression
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
Case shared by FORUM-ASIA member People's Watch
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Event Location
Latitude: 24.801081453355817
Longitude: 93.93606548283059
- Event Location
- Summary for Publications
On 1 August 2024, Rameshchandra Singh, media worker, was brutally assaulted by a police inspector while covering police violent repression of a protest, so the HRD had to be hospitalised in Imphal, India.