National Executive meeting of IJU AMWJU presents right narrative
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, June 11 2023: The All Manipur Working Journalists' Union (AMWJU) brought up the issues on the present crisis in Manipur during the National Executive meeting of the Indian Journalists' Union held in Tripura's Agartala today.

At Agartala Press Club, AMWJU president Bijoy Kakchingtabam presented a report on the present situation and the violent conflict that started on May 3 .

Talking about the challenges and hardships being faced by people as well as the media fraternity in Manipur, Bijoy said all kinds of unfounded allegations have been levelled against the local journalists and they are accused of being biased.

He said in addition to baseless rumours and propaganda being spread on social media, armchair journalism and parachute journalism have covered pages and prime airtime of the National mainstream media.

National Executive meeting of IJU AMWJU presents right narrative

While most of the National media do not have permanent correspondents in Imphal, the mainstream media have presented and published one sided stories.

Journalists who visited Manipur from Delhi and other places for a few days only during the crisis would lack the knowledge and dynamics of the crisis, he added.

Bijoy continued that what concerns most is the portrayal of the present crisis in Manipur as a communal violence.

The violence and the present crisis was fuelled by many factors including issues related to influx of illegal immigrants from Myanmar, deforestation, drugs/poppy trade, demography, electoral politics, regional armed resistance, demand for homeland based on ethnicity.

The people have been used as weapons by few, he Bijoy added.

"We want peace to return and restore the harmony among the communities that existed before the conflict.

We understand the hardships the journalists from Churachandpur may be facing," Bijoy said, appealing to the members of the media fraternity to take resolutions on the issue in Manipur.

Afterwards, AMWJU general secretary Athokpam Jiten also presented a report.

IJU NEC members from Manipur, Ashem Bhakta, K Sarojkumar Sharma and Khwairakpam Naoba were present in the meeting.

The inaugural function of the meeting hosted by Tripura Journalists' Union was attended by Tripura YAS and Social Welfare Minister Tingku Roy, Agartala Municipal Corporation Mayor Dipak Majumdar, IJU president Geetartha Pathak, general secretary Sabina Inderjit and Tripura Journalists' Union president Pranab Sarkar as presidium members.

The meeting will continue tomorrow.