Meitei-Owned Media Houses' Culpability and Under-Reporting

Under reporting, biases and twisting the fact in such a manner that the Kuki-Zo community are invariably projected in the wrong light by Meitei-owned media houses, both in print and electronic, is an ongoing issue that has been observed and noted by many. This is one way of exacerbating the violence by the Meiteis as all the major print and electronic media houses of Manipur are based in Imphal and owned by the Meiteis.

The Imphal Free Press on their X handle posted “Kuki militants attack #IRB post at #Meikhan hill under #Sagolmang PS in #ImphalEast in the wee-hours of Monday with #dronebombs and incessant #shelling”.

Imphal Unfree Press should stop reporting fake news. A professional journalist would have shown the proof of the so-called drone bombs. So many mobile phones must be there in the hands of the IRB personnel and yet no one captured the drones. And, no bomb shells despite the so-called “incessant shelling”?

It is suspected that the IRB Personnel may have handed over the weapons to the Meitei militants or the AT/ Meetei Leepun and in order to cover up they might have invented the story of Kuki attacks as a figment of their imagination.

In yet another cases of Meitei owned media houses twisting news stories and reporting it as per their own whims and fancies, the People’s Chronicle, English edition of Poknapham newspaper, carried a news story that says the Hill Tribal Council (HTC) has expressed willingness to facilitate the return and resettlement of the displaced people of Meetei community in Moreh, provided similar arrangements are made for the displaced Kuki people in Imphal.

The news report further stated that the statement was stated by HTC Moreh president Khaikholal Haokip during a meeting with Assam Rifles on the evening of August 30.

The meeting, held at the Assam Rifles Inspection Bungalow (AR IB) in Moreh at around 5 pm, was co-chaired by IGAR (South) Maj Gen Ravroop Singh, and 26 Sector Assam Rifles commander Brig Vedpal Yadav.

It saw participation from leaders of various community organisations, including Hill Tribal Council Moreh, Tamil Sangam Moreh, Gorkha Samaj Samiti Moreh, Manipur Muslim Council Moreh, Border Trade Chamber of Commerce Moreh, Kuki Students’ Organisation (KSO) Moreh, and Kuki Women’s Union & Human Rights, Moreh.

However, the one-sided reporting of Meitei media was exposed once the HTC came out with a clarification statement, rejecting the twisted statement of HTC president carried by the Meitei newspaper.

It is absolutely normal and conventional on the part of Imphal based Manipuri media houses to report their own manipulated and baseless news but in order to avoid chaos and misunderstanding from the public, the Hill Tribal Council Moreh is obligated to issue a rebuttal against the Chronicle Newspaper report stating that ‘HTC President has expressed willingness to facilitate the return and resettlement of Meitei community in Moreh’ which is totally unacceptable and malignant.

The meeting that was attended by HTC and major Civil Society Organisations like KIT,KCA and KWU&HR was to simply facilitate the visiting IGAR(South) accompanied by DIG 26 Sector wherein everyone expressed their immediate desire to expedite the Kuki-Zo political solution prior to anything.

In response to the misleading news report, the Hill Tribal Council (HTC) has issued a stern rebuttal to a report published by the Chronicle Newspaper, which inaccurately claimed that HTC President had shown willingness to facilitate the return and resettlement of the Meitei community in Moreh. The HTC describes the report as “totally unacceptable and malignant,” and asserts that it is a reflection of “manipulated and baseless news” typical of some Imphal-based media outlets.

According to the HTC, the focus of the meeting was solely on expediting the Kuki-Zo political solution, rather than on any resettlement discussions.

The HTC has strongly criticized the Chronicle Newspaper for its lack of adherence to media ethics and for publishing misleading information. The Council emphasized that the ongoing conflict in the region can only be resolved through a Kuki-Zo political settlement, and that peace and development are unattainable without such an agreement.

In its statement, the HTC advised media outlets, particularly the Chronicle, to improve their journalistic practices and avoid creating unnecessary chaos and misunderstanding. The Council also indicated that it will not participate in future meetings or engagements with the Chronicle News Service unless a proper clarification is issued regarding the misleading report.

It is a known fact that valley-based Meitei media houses on many occasions concealed the horrendous crimes of the Meitei militias, militants and bowdlerized it as “unknown miscreants” but the use of misleading and provocative terms like “Kuki militants” and “narco-terrorists” was very frequent. Significant events such as the looting of thousands of guns, the burning to death of an injured kid, his mother and aunt, the killing of innocent people in broad daylight, the massive destruction of homes, churches and vehicles found no mention in majority of the Meitei media houses. Even to this day, the Meitei media’s houses have never done any factual reporting regarding the violence in Manipur. All this itself is evident from EGI’s fact finding report on Manipur violence.