Running a state without media : Manipur case

Amar Yumnam *

The Sangai Express is the daily which has revolutionised the newspaper business in Manipur by instilling an atmosphere of modern market competition in it. The paper’s very successful completion of ten years to the service of the people is definitely an occasion for all of us to ponder over the role of media in the contemporary social situation of the State. This piece is in this spirit.

Manipur is a strange case in every sense of the word. The strangeness is particularly prominent when it comes to the character of the state. The concept as it applies to Manipur has two stages, one the manifestations of the government at the Centre in its dealings with the happenings in Manipur and another at the level of the functionings of the government in the provincial level. The strangeness is most salient when it comes to the behaviour of both the levels of government to issues seriously involving the general public.

Conflict Situation: In a conflict situation like ours, which has been made chaotic in every possible way by all major as well as not so major state and non-state actors, it is highly paramount that every stage of the government behaves in a responsive and responsible way. If the government also has the un-admitted desire for a chaotic state, the matter is altogether different. But I can think of no reason at both the levels of government to long for such a situation in Manipur; Manipur has done no wrong to deserve this.

Assuming State Empathy: Assuming that the state, as manifested through the behaviour of both the levels of government, does not have any design for creation and sustenance of a chaotic situation in Manipur, we are put in an absolute attitudinal quandary as to the validity of this assumption. From whatever little literature on conflict we have studied, we know for sure that the behaviour of the state as manifested through the governmental actions are simply not in accordance with established and accepted norms of effective governance in such situations.

Media Management: One particular instance where the government in a conflict situation should continuously, vehemently and consistently engage is a conscientious management of the media. This is one particular area where the state in Manipur is wanting in an acute and chronic way. We still remember how a very unhealthy rumour can cause damages to the social fabric. More than a decade back Manipur witnessed the unprecedented communal violence in the valley fuelled only by rumours, and we saw the absolute collapse of the propaganda machinery of the government to fight the rumour. Any modern government necessitates an effective information and propaganda machinery to get the messages of the state to the people effectively and reliably. This requirement is more so in a situation where agents are active working for an alternative state.

It is the responsibility of the media management department of the government to connect with the people on her policies, programmes and intentions. It is also the job of this wing to feel the pulse of the people and assess the feedbacks of the citizens on the intentions and actions of the government. While the intelligence wings of the government do collect information, their role and orientations are very different from those of the information and publicity wings. It is the later which have roles in a democracy.

Now given the admittedly and manifestly democratic form of government in place in our land, we would expect that it is more careful about media management and resorts to the media means more often than not instead of the contemporary experience of otherwise.

In any situation where both state and alternative state agents are in more or less parallel existence, there is a continual tug of war for media space. In fact, for the alternative state agents, media is the main medium through which they necessarily have to try to establish their increasing legitimacy and enhance thereby their credibility. They continually try to get their line of thought across to the people and thereby win acceptance of the public. They unceasingly endeavour to expose and highlight the follies of the existing state.

In such a context, it is incumbent on the part of the prevailing state to adopt a three-pronged strategy. First, it must be always alive to the media blitz of the alternative state agents and work out an effective continual strategy to counter it. Secondly, it must be able to project her activities in good light to the citizens of the land. Thirdly, it must adopt a strategy of keeping the fourth estate convincingly on its side.

However, we must admit that the state at the Centre as well as the province has failed utterly in its media management in so far as it relates to the issues concerning the people. But we must hasten here that a credible and convincing media management can be provided only by effective and accountable governance. It could be that we do not as yet have one such, and accordingly we do not have a government which truly values the role of media in a democracy. Well this again is not a healthy and sustainable situation.