Do not weaken the media
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: January 09, 2012 -
Scribes take out a rally, the spot where the grenade fell in front of the office of TSE and the hand grenade - Pix :: TSE
The media in Manipur is once again under threat, the latest being from one of the factions of KCP (MC).
So far this faction, KCP (MC) Lanchenba Chanu, has placed a Chinese made hand grenade at the building which houses the office of the Naharolgi Thoudang along the Tiddim road on January 2 and followed it up by hurling another hand grenade at the office of the Sangai Express in Sega Road.
The still threat remains. As a consequence, the newspaper buildings give the impression of being under seize, with heavily armed policemen standing guard round the clock. This is certainly not the most conducive atmosphere for carrying out the task of newspaper publication.
The media in Manipur has been under various kinds of pressures and downright threats from different quarters for long now. Starting right from local clubs to students' organisations, various civil society organisations to the armed groups, each exerting pressures on the media to have their point of published.
If mere pressure does not work then many of them resort to downright arm twisting. This is not the first time that the media has been threaten with dire consequences and this is also not the first time that bombs have been presented to media houses in the state.
Some years back Sangai Express was also at the receiving end of a lethal represent by one of the PREPAK factions with the express purpose of making it yield to their desired line of thinking.
As a consequence, publication of newspaper came to a grinding halt for more than a month depriving the lay public of much needed information.
That was one of the unfortunate periods for the media in Manipur, for, one of its most basic duty is to disseminate information to the general public and keep them informed of the events and issues happening in and around their surroundings as also in the large arena of the world. But conditions were made such that it was not possible to function freely.
When the media cannot decide what is news, when the editors cannot decide as to the import of a particular event or an issue, when their right to edit are taken away from them, what is the point of having a press at all.
How freely the media functions is a measure of the health of that society, it is the measure of maturity of the members and groups within that society which will help the individuals and consequently, the whole society to grow in every sense of the term.
In a way, the very fact that various groups, including armed ones, places such a premium on their news and views being published and broadcast in the local media, is some sort of a left handed compliment to the media fraternity of Manipur.
It is prove of the credibility of medium despite the trying conditions under which it operates. We would like to appeal to everyone not to take up any steps, least of all threaten or coerce the media, which would weaken it.
At the same time, we in the profession should do everything possible not to compromise his hard earned credibility.
In the conflict torn and highly volatile situation of present day Manipur, media is one of the few institutions which still commands some respect from the general public, allow us to stay that way for the well being of the whole state.
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