AMWJU, EGM seek help for legal battle
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, February 07 2025: All Manipur Working Journalists' Union (AMWJU) and Editors' Guild, Manipur (EGM) will organise a charity him show to raise funds for their Supreme Court case against the Editors' Guild of India (EGI) over latter's 'biased and sponsored' slur cast on the Manipur media.

Addressing media persons at Manipur Press Club, here, on Friday, AMWJU president Bijoy Kakchingtabam said that the charity show on March 8 at MSFDS auditorium, Palace Compound will feature award winning "Eikhoigi Yum" by Romi Meitei and Paban Kumar's documentary "Joseph Ki Macha" .

He also appealed to the people of Manipur to purchase tickets and support AMWJU and EGM in their legal fight against the EGI .

AMWJU, EGM seek help for legal battle

The AMWJU president stated that journalists in the state have been maintaining neutrality in-spite of challenges posed by the conflict persisting since May 3, 2023, in an effort to promote peace and tranquillity in the state.

However, the EGI fact-finding team, after visiting only Churachandpur and Kangpokpi, produced/uploaded biased information on its website and other media outlets.

Before leaving the state, the EGI team met with representatives of AMWJU and EGM, where they were provided with neutral and accurate reports published by the state media.

Despite this, once they left Manipur, the EGI website contained a range of biased and sponsored news.

Furthermore, the EGI also posted statements on its website branding the Manipur media as "Meitei Media" .

In response, the EGI was urged through official communique to delete the said statement from its website.

However, as no positive response was received, EGM filed criminal and civil defamation cases against the EGI in the competent court.

Despite this, the statement remains on their website and has yet to be removed, he added.

Bijoy further revealed that when the EGI representatives were summoned to Manipur to provide a statement in connection with the case, the EGI petitioned the Supreme Court requesting that the case be heard in Delhi rather than in Manipur.

Meanwhile, the case filed by AMWJU and EGM has been colligated with the case filed by the government of Manipur, the hearing of which is underway in the Supreme Court.

Senior advocate Sapam Bishwajit is representing AMWJU and EGM pro bono.

However, as the travel expenditure for the advocate between Delhi and Imphal is huge, a management committee called the Media Legal Fund Committee of AMWJU & EGM has been constituted to organise the charity show to raise funds.

All proceeds from the event will go towards supporting the legal battle in the Supreme Court.

Additionally, a lottery will be held, with two Bullet motorcycles and two iPhone 15 as prizes for the charity show.