New Delhi, December 24 2008: A one-day seminar on the �Role of media in the present situation in Manipur� held here today has stressed that media should have a definite mind of its own and not just report events. Organised by Editors� Forum, Manipur (EFM), the seminar was inaugurated by retired IIS Seram Mangi as chief guest and EFM president S Jugol Singh as func- tional president. In his inaugural address, Jugol explained that the se-minar is being organised with the main objective of coming up with suggestions to the Government in the working of the media in a conflict situation like Manipur. Maintaining that it is essential for the media to play an important role in the efforts of the Government to bring about a solution to the biggest issue of insurgency in Manipur today, Jugol said that inspite of this responsibility, there is the need to discuss and mutually understand the problems be- ing confronted by the media in carrying out its duty. In the seminar session Deputy Director of AIR Imphal BB Sharma attended as moderator. Speaking on the topic of �Public�s Right to Information Act� as resource per- son, Additional DGP, Mani-pur Police A Romenkumar said Right to Information Act is an important legislation toward curbing corrup- tion and bring about accountability in the functioning of the Government. Under Section 3 of the Act, all the Indian citizens have been given the right to access to information they want.

However, the Information Commission which has been set up to look after the implementation of the Act can do nothing if the application of a citizen seeking information is not enter- tained by the authority concerned.

Fine can be imposed for not providing the information being sought, but none of the officials concerned may not be slapped with penalty that would affect their service career.

So, this is one of the main reasons why the people could not expect much benefit from the evocation of this Act, Romenkumar said. Speaking on the topic of �Present socio-economic and political situation in Manipur�, Prof DS Sharma said media should be intellectual, have target, vision and mind of its own, and journalists should also be able to guide the Government, policy makers, poli- tical leaders and the public. Similarly, Editor of Ereibak, Irengbam Arun, who spoke on the topic of �Responsibility of media for a better social change�, observed that media should have a definite mind of its own.

Media should come up with positive reporting based on development.

This would be able to give a hope, he said, while appealing to the people to discuss and understand the positive reporting based on development thoroughly and to do away with the mindset that newspaper reporting is not complete without more incidents of killing and violence.

Media should be able to come up with reporting that could instill positive attitude and give hope and courage to the people, Arun added. Editor of Huiyen Lanpao (English) Brozendra Ningo-mba, who also participated in the seminar as one of the resource persons and spo-ke on the topic of �Media in conflict situation� observ-ed that in the present con- flict situation, media in Ma-nipur has been reduced to the position of a notice bo-ard and a tool for propagan- da.

In such a condition, how the media would be able to go in accordance to its mind is a big question, he said.

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