The All Manipur Working Journalists’ Union (AMWJU) and Editors Guild, Manipur (EGM) on Tuesday decried the charges allegedly made by Lt General PC Nair, who is also the former DG of Assam Rifles in an interview on national TV, stating that media are not true in its reportage during the current crisis in Manipur.
A joint release signed by AMWJU president and EGM president, asserted that local media was particularly careful in reporting during the conflict and self-censure is the norm to ensure that it does not lead to further violence.
It mentioned that similar charges were made against the local media by the Editor Guild of India that was challenged. It retaliated that charges were also made against some national media, in which many of these charges were found justified.
His statement that many fake videos are floating on social media is no doubt correct with visuals of places far away from Manipur were attempted to be indicated as of Manipur, it stated. However, the media in Manipur took special precautions not to report such visuals, it maintained.
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It condemned that his allegations that weaponised drones are not used is not borne by the facts. It pointed out that the death of a woman and injury sustained by her daughter at Koutruk was due to sniper bullets and added that many are injured by blasts of RPG released from drones.
There are many eyewitnesses who saw the release of the RPG by drones, including a journalist of a local television who was injured by shrapnel on his hand and foot at Koutruk, it noted. The two apex media bodies further stated that the claim that rockets were not fired is also not borne by facts.
It is true that locally made mortars called ‘Pumpi’ have been used since the beginning of the crisis but the distance it travels is short, it maintained. It stated that the crude rockets that have been fired on Oksungbung on August 10 and on Tronglaobi and Moirang on Friday, had travelled a distance ranging from 4-6 km to reach the target.
It lambasted that perhaps the former DG was out of touch with the new developments and as DG AR is not involved in operations not aware of the ground reality. His sweeping allegations on the media had shocked the local media which is trying to perform its duties in trying situations, it accused.
The AMWJU and EGM, representing all those working and reporting from the frontline are shocked and dismayed at the former DG of AR choosing to undermine the reportage of our journalist, it stated. ‘We wish the general also spoke to the local civilian inputs including the media and not only rely only on one side’, the release added.
‘Gen Nair’s statement proves AR favouring Kukis’
The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) on Tuesday fulminated against the statement made by Lieutenant General Pradeep Chandran Nair, who was also the former Director General of Assam Rifles on national media, stating that the Kukis did not carry out aerial bombardment nor missile attack against the Meetei villages.
In a release, COCOMI Media Coordinator Yumkhaibam Surjitkumar Khuman asserted that the same clearly proves that the Assam Rifles are allegedly conspiring with the Chin-Kuki-Narco Terrorists to disintegrate Manipur.
It reflected on the statement made by Manipur Police IGP K Kabib and IGP K Jayenta Singh during a press meet on Sunday, which clearly stated that Kuki militants carried out drone bombing at Koutruk in Imphal West, injuring many including state forces.
It pointed out that the Kuki militants launched another missile attack at Moirang on Friday, killing an innocent civilian and injuring five others. Besides this, the militants fired several rocket bombs towards Tronglaobi on the same day and at Moirang Panshang leikai on August 10, it added.
Such acts of the Assam Rifles’, favouring the Kuki terrorists, have empowered them to launch onslaughts on the Meeteis, it accused. It further highlighted the various atrocities carried out by the Kuki terrorists against the Meeteis ever since the violence erupted on May 3, 2023.
COCOMI expressed discontentment at the central government’s alleged ignorance to the demands made by the public and COCOMI to remove Assam Rifles from Manipur till date, adding that the same shows the Centre’s undeniable involvement in waging a proxy war in the state.
COCOMI strongly condemns the biased statement allegedly made by Lieutenant General Pradeep Chandran Nair of favouring the Kukis despite much concrete evidence in print and electronic media, the release stated.
