AMWJU serves legal notice on PUCL
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, November 06 2025: The All Manipur Working Journalists Union (AMWJU) today announced that it has served a legal notice on the People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), demanding immediate and unconditional withdrawal of its report containing 'baseless, unverified, and defamatory allegations' against the journalists' body, and a public apology.

The notice was drafted and served by Advocate Hijam Chandrakumar, who is representing AMWJU.

Notably, Advocate Chandrakumar is also a member of the Media Legal Committee, a joint body formed by AMWJU and the Editors' Guild Manipur (EGM) to address legal challenges facing the press in the State.

AMWJU and EGM, in a joint statement, stated that the PUCL's report, which claims to detail media testimonies on the conflict in Manipur, contains several serious and unsubstantiated allegations against AMWJU such as falsely labelling AMWJU as "Godi media" and alleging it has a "decisive role" in killing or carrying news stories with a partisan bias, creating a defamatory imputation that AMWJU is connected-to threats and coercion against journalists, misrepresenting the union's membership norms and the legal media ownership framework, insinuating deliberate exclusion and using communal and irresponsible terminology like "Imphal-based Meitei media" and falsely accusing it of promoting a specific narrative on "illegal immigrants" .

In its legal response, AMWJU has categorically denied all these allegations.

The union clarified that its membership is governed by its constitution, National laws, DIPR guidelines and is open to all eligible "working journalists" as defined by statute and employed by RNI-registered publications.

The notice stated that the allegations are based on unverified hearsay and were published in complete violation of the principles of natural justice, as AMWJU was never contacted for its version by the PUCL, it added.

The reckless publication of these statements has caused immense harm to the reputation and credibility that AMWJU has built over decades as a body dedicated to journalistic ethics and the freedom of the press," said Advocate Chandrakumar.

"The notice makes it clear that if the PUCL fails to comply with our demands within 30 days, we will be left with no alternative but to initiate legal proceedings, including a civil suit for damages and a criminal case for defamation under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023," he said.

AMWJU reiterated its commitment to protecting the rights and safety of journalists in Manipur and upholding the highest standards of professional journalism.

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