The so-called mainstream media has been dabbling in ‘majority oppressing minorities’ or ‘targeting religious minorities’ narratives in recent times while focusing on the present conflict in Manipur without even bothering to understand the ground realities.
They have even labelled the Imphal-based media houses as being communal. Sitting on cosy couches, the champions of mainstream media had been all along judgmental of the local media while flagging the yarn of ‘victimhood’ and oppression of minority Kukis by the majority community again and again.
No doubt, they are being influenced by their hatred of the right-wing forces while addressing the conflict in Manipur and they have fallen victim to the false narratives and yarns woven by Kuki intellectuals and groups. They refuse to question why the Meiteis with only a slim majority of 53 per cent of the population feel threatened in terms of their identity and land.
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One needs to recall that the Meiteis were once a proud and powerful nation at the crossroads of South Asia and South-East Asia and their writ ran large in this region. Now, their writ seems reduced to the valley region and the bureaucracy overwhelmed by ST quota IAS and IPS officers.
While one can still count the number of direct IAS and IPS officers from the majority community, there are plenty from among the hill communities who enjoy the benefits of being from the Scheduled Tribe communities and they have been ruling the roost all this time and even enjoying the double benefit of both entry point and promotion avenue as well.
So much heartburn have been caused by these benefits that some sections of the majority community have even come up with the demand for transformation into the ST category.
Even among the ST bureaucrats also, it is more among the Kuki-Chin-Mizo group.
For example, the state Police department has become top heavy with IPS officers from the Kuki-Chin-Mizo group with a sprinkling of Nagas in between. This needs to be understood by the so-called mainstream media.
With regard to religious issues, the mainstream media seems to link the Hindu population in Manipur with the radical Hindutva elements encouraged by BJP and RSS in mainland India. They do not bother to enquire on the fact that the particular brand of Hinduism being followed and practiced here in Manipur is much too different from that of North India.
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The ancient culture and value system of the Meiteis are deeply rooted in the Manipuri Vaishnavism which is practised here.
Pluralism is inherent in the Meitei society and it is evident in its culture and religious practices. In fact, Manipuri Vaishnavism was a defence mechanism of sorts to thwart the onslaught of Hindu wave towards South east Asia.
One does not always get to say the truths as we are afraid only of the possible consequences it might bring.
While we are all concerned with the negative fallout of saying the truth, we are blind to other possibilities it might also achieve in the not too distant future. And as such we are in a perpetual denial mode, thereby causing more harm or the minor ailment turning cancerous in the long run.
Sometimes, it is best that all the grievances and hurt feelings are laid bare on the table and try to thrash it out with an open mind.
If we are really intent on going forward towards peace and stability, gone are the days of running from the bitter truth while the time has come to face the truth and realities head on.
The imagined Unity in Diversity spirit no longer holds water in our beautiful state. In spite of claims to the contrary, the hill valley divide is still very much here and inter-community relations are not so good.
So, the question comes down to who is being communal? Is it the local media who is trying to focus on narratives due to the present conflict which is largely absent or not being delved by the so-called mainstream media or the couch potato media champions and the sources they lean on for bytes?
