The Telegraph side was represented by its regional manager Pankaj Thakur. As per information received, The Telegraph representative on behalf of the daily said "sorry" today to the people of Manipur regarding the September 5 edition of the daily carrying the Irom Sharmila romance story. Pankaj Thakur said it had no intention to portray Sharmila in any bad light.
It can be mentioned that The Telegraph daily newspaper was banned in Manipur for indefinite period by civil society organisations under the aegis of Apunba Lup since September 6. Copies of The Telegraph newspapers were also burnt in several places in Imphal on that day.
The development was prompted by the publication on hunger striker Irom Sharmila's private life. Civil society organisation leaders had said they were angry because in the last 11 years of Irom Sharmila's agitation the national media refused to focus her in the front page but on September 5 edition of The Telegraph the daily used the news item on private life of the hunger striker as the main news of the day.
The Apunba Lup said there was a conspiracy by the national daily to sabotage the movement of Sharmila who is demanding to repeal Armed Forces Special Powers Act. The Apunba Lup also had said that it was very difficult to meet Irom Sharmila "but how come a reporter from New Delhi just came and met the hunger striker that easy," and questions about the concerned authority who gave permission to The Telegraph reporter. "It is an insult to the whole of Manipur people," fumes the Apunba Lup leaders.
Apunba Lup is a conglomerate of several civil organisations including United Committee, Manipur (UCM) and AMUCO.