DMCC demands correction from The Hindu, East Mojo
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, June 21 2025:
The Delhi Meetei Coordinating Committee (DMCC) has demanded an immediate clarification and correction from The Hindu and East Mojo for publishing unverified and misleading reports.
With regard to the unfortunate death of a Kuki woman in Manipur's Churachandpur district on June 19, 2025, The Hindu reported:
"A Kuki woman was killed in Manipur's Churachandpur district on Thursday (June 19, 2025), hours after a gunshot injured a Meitei farmer" .
East Mojo similarly reported:
"A Kuki woman was killed in an alleged attack by suspected Meitei militants at Phubala in Bishnupur district of Manipur on Thursday.
The incident occurred hours after a Meitei farmer sustained a bullet injury" .
These statements misleadingly imply that Meitei groups were responsible, despite no such confirmation from any State authority, the DMCC said in a press release.
It also quoted the official version released by the Manipur Police.
"Today, at approximately 3 pm, one Ningthoujam Biren Singh, a cultivator from Phubala Awang Maning Leikai, was shot in his left arm by an unknown armed miscreant while working in his paddy field at Phubala Maning.
He was initially taken to District Hospital, Bishnupur for medical treatment and was later referred to RIMS Hospital, Imphal.
His condition is reported to be stable at present.
In response, security forces launched a search operation in and around Langchingmanbi, Heichanglok, and the western areas of Phubala village.
During the course of the operation, security forces came under fire from unknown armed miscreants and the forces retaliated accordingly.
During the crossfire, one woman from Langchingmanbi village was found dead with a bullet injury.
She was later identified as Mrs.Hoikholhing, wife of the village chief of Langchingmanbi" .
The Manipur Police statement makes it absolutely clear that the woman was killed during a crossfire between security forces and Kuki militants during a counter-insurgency operation launched after a Meitei farmer was shot while working on his own farmland, the DMCC asserted.
Despite this, The Hindu irresponsibly quoted from the Kuki Women's Organisation for Human Rights (KWOHR) without verifying the claim: "Despite the presence of a Government-declared buffer zone intended to prevent clashes between Meitei and Kuki communities, Meitei militants have repeatedly violated and crossed the buffer line, provoking tensions and directly endangering the lives of innocent civilians," KWOHR said.
This is misleading and factually incorrect, it said.
There is no official Government of Manipur declaration of "buffer zones" .
The State refers to certain areas as "sensitive zones," not buffer zones, the DMCC said.
It asserted that the claim that Meitei militants were responsible has no official confirmation and is contradicted by police statements.
The Hindu and East Mojo failed to verify these inflammatory claims with State authorities, which is a clear violation of Press Council of India guidelines on accuracy and fairness in reporting, it said.
The DMCC has also demanded an immediate clarification and correction from The Hindu and East Mojo as well as assurance from both the outlets that unverified statements, especially from conflict parties, will not be published without official confirmation.
Asking The Hindu and the East Mojo whether they would publish a press statement from any organization without cross-checking it with police or Government sources, it said that Manipur needs peace, not propaganda.
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