May be the Manipur Chief Minister had donated Rs 1.5 crore to the separatists! But why the army chief hired a journalist from other part of the country and the media not based in the state? The reasons will be more interpretable than what they had exposed. As a media person we need to know the intentions behind such step of the army chief. Why the state media being besmirched? If army does not have faith and trust towards state journalist and the media, then the hope for peace in the state will be impossible. This is an indirect attack on the media and we are afraid what might be the outcome.
We all know that the state is totally paralysed in every front. Corruption, insurgents, economic fiasco, ethnic clashes and human rights violations turmoil the state. And media need to be very accurate and trustworthy to solve the situations. Journalists and the media should be given the authority to support them in their mission of bringing back normalcy in the region. The army should cooperate with Manipur media and the media should in turn show honesty to the former. The army attitude of publishing and depending on journalists not based in the state, showed unfaithful and unbiased nature of state media.
Freedom of the press is to be guarded as an inalienable right of people in a free society like India. It carries with it the freedom and the responsibility to discuss, question and challenge actions and utterances of our government, be it the CM of the state. Truth is the ultimate goal. Partisanship in editorial comment, which knowingly departs from the truth, violates the spirit of journalism. The news media should not communicate unofficial charges affecting reputation or moral character without giving the accused a chance to reply.
There is no denying the fact that our media violates the above ethics of journalism unknowingly or intentionally. Our editorials never support the goodwill and peaceful nature of the army and security forces suffering decades long sacrifices in counter-insurgency. Whether people sidelines and derelicts armies, as outsider, media and journalists must say a word of condolence or sympathy with those armies who are posted in the region to serve us. None of the state journalists or media writes or dedicates a word of condolence for the ill-fated soldiers and armies who lost in the battlefield. This has let to the decision of providing news and important propaganda of the army to outside media. Yes, this is really unfortunate and stigma of regional media. Next time, focus on issues that could serve people, army and society. Don't let the murder of state media!
Sometimes we read about Manipur columns in the national newspaper like the Times of India and Hindustan Times. Those articles written by non-native journalists openly violated the journalist code of conduct. One article published a year back on car rally across the south Asian countries highlighted the writer's autonomous nature in highlighting Manipur as a sex selling part of the country. The writer had warned the participants of the car rally to avoid sex when they entered Manipur. No one stood up to challenge his unfettered pen. In another incident, a news portal published the use of AIDS victims against army to foil the counter-insurgency problems.
Such eroded journalists and the media are assaulting the regional media. So, we need to correct ourselves to safeguard the sentiments of people and land. Manipur media need to be accountable to the army and public for their reports. And the public should be encouraged to voice its grievances against the media. We, as journalist based outside Manipur believes in public enlightening as the forerunner of justice and in our Constitutional role to seek the truth as part of the public's right to know the truth.
Today, Manipur public sense some ploy of the army chief in hiring Saikat Datta to blame the head of our state, Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh. We admit that the insurgent groups demands money, held ransom and earn money from various sources. But the open issue of receipt by any revolutionary party is baseless and unreasonable. We do not believe the allegation made by Saikat and the chief of the army staff Gen JJ Singh against Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh. Our media needs timely intervention and support to protect the character assassination of CM.
The comments of former Governor of Manipur, Ved Marwah should not be considered. Why he claims such problem now? Does his conscience never forced to speak and prevent those demands and tortures of government officials during his time? The army chief must prevent the publication of such news. The sudden let out will create farce tensions among various ethnics who are coming in terms of peaceful co-existence. The alleged report will also frightened the NSCN group and other minority group to strengthen their policy against the valley insurgents. We doubt it must not let another ethnic clashes in future. The whole state is under scrutiny and stigma now.
Will the government of India think of further investments in the state? Little worried about the development policy of Centre towards Manipur after such allegations to a head of the state. We strongly felt the intention of army chief in blaming the entire Manipur as sympathisers to these revolutionary parties. We are Indian and need peace and normalcy once again. The army and the Indian mainstream must support CM and Manipur.
Our media must stand in solidarity to save the honour of Manipur and its CM. Media should protect the victimised Okram Ibobi Singh. Don't let unbiased foreign media rule people's mind again! |
