Tripura Journalists Stage Sit-In Over Safety, Welfare
- By Thetripurapost Desk, Agartala
- Feb 09, 2026
- 1870
More than 800 journalists and media workers on Sunday staged a three-hour mass sit-in and protest in front of Rabindra Bhavan, demanding immediate steps to protect press freedom and improve the welfare of media professionals in Tripura.
The agitation, which also saw participation from around 150 tribal journalists affiliated with the Khumulwng Press Club, pressed for an 11-point charter of demands. Key demands included security guarantees for journalists and media workers, free land allocation for housing journalists in their respective areas, a ₹50 lakh allocation to the Journalists’ Welfare Fund in the upcoming state budget, and the doubling of pensions and family pensions for journalists.
Protesters also sought a revision of government advertising rates, regular advertisements for weekly newspapers, group insurance coverage and a monthly allowance for newspaper distributors, and a 50 per cent concession on electricity bills for media establishments.
A major focus of the protest was the demand for immediate legal action against two ruling party MLAs—Ram Prasad Pal and Ranjit Debbarma—accused of intimidating senior journalists through threats and alleged misuse of constitutional authority.
A delegation led by senior editor Subal Kumar Dey submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha. The Chief Minister assured the delegation that the demands would be examined. However, the representatives warned that if justice is not delivered, the issue will be escalated to the Prime Minister, Union Home Minister, and the President of India.
Addressing the gathering, speakers including Subal Kumar Dey, Sanjay Pal, Shanit Debroy, Pranab Sarkar, Dibakar Debnath, Narayan Patwari, Sebak Bhattacharya, and newspaper distributors’ leader Nanigopal Saha stressed unity within the media fraternity. They alleged that the two MLAs were targeting editors for reporting on corruption and communal violence, thereby straining relations between the press and the government.
The protest also highlighted long-pending concerns such as the nine-year delay in trials related to the murders of journalists Sudip Datta Bhowmik and Santanu Bhowmik, misuse of press stickers on vehicles, and the continued neglect of newspaper distributors.
Organisers Shanit Debroy and Pranab Sarkar said the movement was not limited to welfare demands alone but aimed at safeguarding democracy and ensuring the media’s rightful status as a pillar of governance.