KSO bans The Sangai Express, ISTV
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, May 17 2015 :
Kuki Students Organisation (KSO) has resolved to ban The Sangai Express and ISTV.
In a press note, KSO General Secretary Seiboi Haokip said the decision to ban the newspaper and the local television news network was taken in view of "partiality" in reporting by the two media houses on the Haorang Kairel killing incident and Thingsat killings.
KSO said it is fully evident from the news reporting that the newspaper and cable news network have indulged in "prejudice" by ignoring to report the Haorang Kairel killing incident while giving "exclusive and undue coverage" to the Thingsat killing incident.
The two leading media have "totally ignored and neglected" due coverage on the Haorang Kairel killing incident or the crime as a whole.
The Thingsat killing incident has been "exhaustively reported inciting communal tension in the valley" alleged KSO.
KSO said it considered the manner of news reporting as "unethical and unfair" .
"The lopsided reporting and partiality has tinted the innocent victims of Haorang Kairel incident in a poor light as if the incident that happened was not a crime or newsworthy", said KSO.
The student body said that on May 14 at around 11:00 am, four innocent villagers of Kangchup Songlung - Shaktiman driver Semkhongam Haokip and three workers - Nehminthang Haokip, Lunminhao Haokip and Thangminlun Khongsai, who were called to work by the Shaktiman owner were waylaid by a group of about 40 men at Sanjenbam Lamkhai.
After they were dragged down from the truck, they were whisked away in two auto rickshaws and brought to Haorang Kairel, where they were subjected to fatal thrashing with rods and knives, said KSO.
On seeing the crime, elders of the locality intervened to save the victims and called the police who "snatched" the three victims away from the clutches of the mob and were brought to RIMS, said KSO.
The student body said the missing Shaktiman driver who was found in the field later was declared brought dead at RIMS and this incident has been "deliberately ignored and censored" by the two leading media in their news reporting.
At RIMS, the newsmen interviewed the survivors and gathered the details of the dead driver and the three survivors and also the circumstances of the crime.
However, they failed to report the crime in their newspapers and feigned ignorance of the incident, alleged KSO.
KSO and the valley based student organizations had also called a press conference condemning the Haorang Kairel incident particularly.
But the Haorang Kairel incident has not been reported even though its details or circumstances were given to the reporters in the press interview.
Not only the killing of Semkhongam Haokip has been censored in the news, the statements of KSO and KIM were also distorted, said KSO.
KSO said it cannot accept "this unfairness" without an apology from the two media.
The Sangai Express and ISTV are widely subscribed and held in esteemed regard by the Kuki community.
However, the two leading media are "engaging in biased and lopsided reporting" thereby hurting the sentiment of the community.
As such the KSO has resorted to this drastic action of banning the two media from circulation, said the statement.
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