Pics: Spoothy Ullal 
Daijiworld Media Network—Mangalore (RS/CN)

Mangalore, Mar 9:  Dakshina Kannada Working Journalists Union (DKWJU) condemned the attacks on newspaper offices in the city and staged a protest in front of the deputy commissioner’s office in the city on Monday March 8.

The protest was organized by DKWJU to condemn the almost simultaneous attacks on ‘Kannada Prabha’-‘Indian Express’ and ‘Jayakirana’ offices on the night of Tuesday March 2.  

The protest started with a welcome speech by P B Harish Rai, secretary, Mangalore Press Club. He said that the continuous attacks on the press and media are instances of attacks on the constitution of the country where the press is recognized as a fourth pillar of the constitution. 

“Published news may have other angles or cause resentment which can be clarified easily in a legal way, but the attack on news paper offices is not the right way”, added Rai.

Office-bearers of DKWJU including R Ramakrishna, Jagannatha Shetty Bala, Venkatesh Bantwal, V U George, and Prakash Pandeswar, owner of ‘Jayakirana’, were among the protesters.

The office-bearers and member journalists of DKWJU handed over a memorandum to chief minister of the state, mentioning requirement of protection to media houses and creating a suitable environment for the smooth functioning of journalists as well as the immediate arrest of miscreants.