GOSSAIGAON, Aug 23: Members of the Gossaigaon and Srirampur Press Clubs observed a Black Day on Thursday, wearing black ribbons in protest against the attack on a journalist that occurred on August 17. The protest took place at the Gossaigaon Press Club premises.
The demonstration was in response to the physical assault on Ajay Kalita, a journalist with Udalguri’s Pratham Khabar channel and a member of the Bodoland Journalist’s Association. Kalita was attacked by a group of unruly youths while on his way to cover a news story about an accident.
During the protest, Utpal Dey, president of the Gossaigaon Press Club, condemned the attack, describing it as deeply troubling. He highlighted the dangers journalists face from those attempting to assert power through violence and stressed that such incidents are detrimental to democracy. Dey also emphasized that attacking a journalist while they are performing their duties is never acceptable.
The Black Day observance saw the participation of several prominent journalists, including Hafizur Rahman, former president and advisor of Gossaigaon Press Club; secretary Mir Ziaur Rahman; senior journalists Shankar Chowdhury, Mizanur Rahman, Rubul Pathak, and Shivlal Tudu; along with Kamakhya Sarkar, president of Srirampur Press Club; vice president Dulal Chandra Roy, and others.
In addition to the protest, a memorandum was submitted to the state’s chief minister through the SDO-Civil, Gossaigaon, demanding the arrest of the individuals responsible for the attack on journalist Ajay Kalita.