By SATANANDA BHATTACHARJEE

Hailakandi, Oct 31: Sensation prevails after an unauthenticated list of media houses and journalists involved in illegal payments by coal truckers went viral on social media and are also reported in print and online media.

The Journalists’ Forum Assam (JFA), while expressing serious concern over the exposure of the payment-list – narrating amounts paid to some media houses and individual scribes – has urged the state’s media fraternity to stand united against efforts to malign its image.
The forum, at the same time, appealed to all mediapersons or houses concerned to clarify their stand.
“The payment list has gone viral on social media, including influential WhatsApp groups. This means that the number of viewers will multiply every single minute, even without getting any space in the mainstream media,” said a statement issued by JFA president Rupam Barua and secretary Nava Thakuria.
They also said that the mainstream media should react collectively to the development.

‘Confidential’ list of monthly beneficiaries

A sheet of paper marked as ‘Confidential’ and dated October 21, lists the monthly beneficiaries of payments made by an association of truckers, which includes media houses. A number of television news channels and newspapers as well as a press association based in Guwahati has been named in the list.
Total media expenditure, as mentioned in the sheet, is Rs 39,70,000 per month — along with “levy” to police personnel in Cachar (Assam) and Meghalaya.
There is apprehension that the expenditure to carry “coil” (coal?) which involves payments to the media may trigger a negative image – even though the sheet of paper in question has not been authenticated as yet.

The paper shows payment of a large sum to the owner of Guwahati based news channels and journalists of Silchar and Guwahati. It also claims payment of Rs 5 lakh to three Guwahati media houses owned by relatives of a member of the BJP-led state government.

Protests against coal syndicate

Meanwhile, the Barak Valley Suraksha Sanstha held protests in Hailakandi against the coal syndicate. The president of the Sanstha, Mujibur Rahman Choudhury while talking to reporters said: “We have staged protests at Algapur in Hailakandi district today. Innumerable coal-laden trucks enter Barak Valley daily from Meghalaya, without paying any tax that is managed by the syndicate.”

Alarming allegation, say journalists

Jyotilal Choudhury, a senior journalist based in Silchar, said: “Political patronage of the coal trade is well known and has been in the spotlight from time to time. The recent exposure involving media houses of Silchar and Guwahati, however, is really alarming. It raises questions about journalism being free, fair, and fearless. This has to be investigated thoroughly.”
Haran Dey, chairman of Prakriti News Concern, the oldest news agency of the region, said: “The authenticity of the paper containing the names of some media houses and journalists should be verified. Allegations of receiving bribes by a section of junior journalists were always floating, but this is a serious one, and media houses and journalists whose names are included in the list should come forward to clarify.”

Demand for inquiry

Rahul Chakraborty, secretary of the Hailakandi Press Club and correspondent of Silchar-based vernacular daily Dainik Prantojyoti, has demanded an inquiry into the matter. On a similar note, Arup Roy, secretary of the Press Club of Karimganj, said “unless the truth is revealed, the entire journalist fraternity would be defamed.”
Another scribe on condition of anonymity said the journalists and media houses concerned should come forward and clarify whether the document is “fake” since the issue involves the prestige of the entire fraternity and the media is regarded as the fourth pillar of democracy.
No person or representative of media houses whose names are listed in the sheet were available for comment