By Abdul Gani, TwoCircles.net,
Guwahati: Electronic Media Forum Assam (EMFA) has expressed serious concern at a recent incident in the city where a lady television journalist, Afrida Hussain was subjected to face abusive behavior from a biker. The television journalist forum also urged the authority to take appropriate actions against those guilty individuals to restore confidence of the women settlers of Guwahati.
Afrida, a city based journalist associated with Aajtak television channel, has already lodged a complaint in the Dispur police station narrating the bizarre incident that took place on July 25 last.
“The unfortunate incident happened to me while I was on way to attend the press conference of Pravin Bhai Tagodia in the city. It was around 2.30 pm, while our vehicle (Alto) was crossing the Last Gate junction in Dispur, precisely in front of Divine wedding complex, a motorcycle borne youth zoomed in form the wrong end of the road. He was about to ram in to my vehicle,” Ms Hussain described.
She also added that while their vehicle was somehow stopped averting a possible collision, the said youth stopped his two-wheeler in front of their obstructing their movement.
“He then charged towards us in an utterly aggressive mood and hurled abusive language on me. The youth not only entered into a squabble with my husband, who was driving the vehicle, but also intimidated me with abusive words. He infringed my modesty at a public place with foul languages and gestures which cannot be mentioned here,” added Ms Hussain.
At one point of time, the youth managed to snatch away the keys of their vehicle. Assessing the happenings going beyond control, Ms Hussain called up the police for help.
“If a lady reporter can be humiliated, abused and intimidated in the broad day light at the centre of the city and shockingly the police arrived late on the location, one can well understand the fate of other women moving on the streets of Guwahati,” lamented Ms Hussain.
EMFA reiterated its demand to take strong steps to punish the concerned youth (who has already been identified by Ms Hussain) as an exceptional incident, such that the media persons in particular and citizens in general can live a modest life in the pre-historic city.