Kokrajhar, Nov. 27: The Kokrajhar District Journalists’ Association (KDJA) today sought the intervention of President Pratibha Patil into the killing of journalist Jagjit Saikia and frequent attacks on mediapersons in the state.

The association demanded a special security package under the government’s social security scheme for the state’s journalists.

Hundreds of people from various organisations including the AASU, Absu, AKRSU, ABMSU, AASAA, Sanmilita Mahila Samiti and All India Democratic Women Association joined mediapersons and marched through the streets from Kokrajhar Press Club to the deputy commissioner’s office, shouting slogans against the attack on press freedom.

Absu president Rwngwra Narzary and former Rajya Sabha member of Parliament U.G. Brahma also joined the rally.

A memorandum was also submitted to the President seeking intervention into the matter.

In the memorandum, the association expressed concern over the frequent attacks on journalists stating, “this is not the first instance where journalists have been attacked and killed in Kokrajhar district of Bodoland Territorial Council”.

“It is a matter of great concern that mediapersons are targeted often in small towns and rural areas in conflict zones like the Northeast,” the memorandum said.

Seeking intervention into the matter, the association demanded the immediate arrest of the culprits involved in the killing of Saikia, an ex gratia of at least Rs 10 lakh to the bereaved family, besides a high-level judicial inquiry into the attack.

In Udalguri, too, the scri-bes staged a dharna against the attack at the Bishnu Prasad Kristi Sangha. Members of various organisations joined in.

Jagjit Saikia, an upcoming journalist working for Assamese daily Amar Asom was shot dead by unidentified assailants in broad daylight here on November 22. He was the fifth journalist to be killed in Kokrajhar district since 1997.

On April 1, 2008, Bodosa Narzary, director of Bodoland Channel, was shot dead near Titaguri, 3km from here. In 2004, a journalist of Assam Tribune, Bineswar Brahma, was killed at Basbari in Tipkai.

In 2002, Giriza Das, a Gossaigaon-based scribe of Amar Asom was whisked away and is yet to be traced. In 1997, Panja Ali, a journalist of North East Times was shot dead at Kachugaon.

No one has been arrested in these cases till date.