Arunachal media outraged over exclusion from APPSC swearing-In ceremony, slams Government for suppressing Press Freedom
The Arunachal Pradesh Union of Working Journalists (APUWJ) and the Arunachal Press Club (APC), represented by their respective leaders Amar Sangno (President, APUWJ), Sonam Jelly (General Secretary, APUWJ), Dodum Yangfo (President, APC), and Damien Lepcha (General Secretary, APC), strongly condemn the curtailment of media access at the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) members' swearing-in ceremony at Raj Bhawan on Wednesday.
Journalists were unceremoniously kept outside the Raj Bhavan gate, with security personnel stating they had no instructions to allow journalists to cover the event. This exclusion of the press from a significant governmental function not only undermines the role of media but also raises serious questions about the state government's commitment to transparency and democratic values.
The state government further compounded the issue by failing to send official invitations or communications to the journalists for such an important event. The lack of transparency in conducting the swearing-in ceremony of constitutional posts in a hush-hush manner is highly questionable and reflects poorly on the government's respect for democratic processes.
In their joint statement, the leaders of the APUWJ and APC emphasise that the media plays a vital role in a democratic setup, with a foremost duty to pass information about such important functions to the masses. The government and its functionaries should not overlook and undermine this role. The collective voice of these media bodies serves as a stark reminder to the government to facilitate, not obstruct, the media's critical function in a democratic society.
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