I used to wonder why special interest niche magazines with prohibitive price cover sells. I mean I can understand if 'Frontline' or 'Outlook' sells since they are news magazine. But I thought who buys magazines about cars, mobile phones, bikes, jewellery, television so on and so forth!

My point is you have to be hardcore car or bike aficionado to buy a magazine on cars regularly whose cost is equivalent to the earning of a daily wage labourer. So, why spent so much money on reading about a say a super luxury Chevrolet car on Harley Davidson bike when you might not even own it in your next birth?

Then I got my answers. In fact, now I read often magazines on travel, lifestyle, cars, gizmos, audio visual etc. But I confess I rarely buy them till now. My brother-in-law who is mad after magazines and newspapers of all kind, has introduced me to these niche mags.

Whenever I visit his place, I am sure to read the latest issues of mags like Overdrive, AV Max, Linux for you, Car and Bikes, My Mobiles, Glad Rags, Maxim... the list goes on. Having nothing to do when the in-laws family gossip, I used to gaze through these mags, thinking aloud, what a sheer waste of money.

However, as time passed by, I began to understand why people like my bro-in-law buy such stuff. As I go through the mags, I realise human desire are indefinite.

We aspire to have more and more luxuries in life. Today, we are not satisfied with just a 52' flat colour television. If we have deep pockets, we can definitely go for a 52' LCD television which can be hung on the walls like a painting!

Or you do not need to bring out your bulky wedding photo album to show to your relatives. A digital photo frame on your living room can do the job with a slide show! This means if you have the cash, you can have things of your desire.

In these wireless era, you can even have your house wired and control it with a remote control. Before reaching home from your office, you can command your coffee maker to prepare a coffee or your AC to start its work of warming or cooling room temperature (depends on the season) with the push of a button. Today, technology is so advanced that even toothbrushes are electronic which brush your teeth automatically at the push of a button.

Perhaps these specialised mags bank on human desires introducing us to a world of new innovations and technology. It is these desires that these types of mags or periodicals sell.

Though I know for sure that in this birth, I may not own even a Swift car, but I feel that if I strike lucky and gets lots of moolah, I am sure which car I will choose thanks to the magazines.

Even though I own a B/W mobile phone which costs not more than four figure, I still read these magazines discovering how much a mobile can perform like surfing the net, playing videos and what not!

The point is we need to keep up with the times. If someone ask you what does BenQ manufacture, surely you will not answer DVD player. Because, BenQ mobiles handsets are a craze and are competiting leading companies like Nokia or Samsung.

Media and Civil Society

Last week the Kuki Students' Union (KSO) invited me to speak on media at Kangpokpi. It was enlightening for me and of course the participants of the seminar to say the least. During the interaction session, there was one problem which besieged the minds of the local populace.

They alleged that the 14 AR posted at Kangpokpi often torture innocent civilians branding them as terrorist, looting vehicles, even if the accused show them their school/college identity cards. They further alleged that once they reported such atrocities to the media but the next day, the AR personnel came and threatened asking who gave the news to the media.

My answer is the Kangpokpi area needs a press correspondent. He/She has to file such report to the media so that the matter can be highlighted. It's not only of the security forces. Reports can be filed on developmental stories or corruption in Government Departments.

If that particular journalist is threatened, then we have All Manipur Working Journalist Union who can ensure the freedom of a journalist. I also believe that if such army atrocities had ever happened as the people alleged then such reports should be immediately filed.

The point is, Kangpokpi and its adjoining area needs a dedicated journalist to redress their grievances to the Govt or its agencies. Rest assured that the journalist community of the State will ensure that their colleague from Kangpokpi/ Sadar Hills perform his/her duties without fear or provocation.

Sengdokchaba

It is no doubt that the advertisement department of daily newspapers are in a happy mood due to the numerous 'Sengdokchaba' from liquor vendor and those indulging in happy parties with some pints of liquor. With All Manipur Anti Drugs Association (AMADA) on the fore front, there's no dearth for the number of persons they have arrested and forced to issue 'Sengdokchaba' in newspaper.

One such Sengdokchaba caught my eyes. This guy was arrested by AMADA for consuming liquor and instructed to apologise through the media.

He was also asked to submit the advertisement bill to AMADA office. He inserted an apology and went to the AMADA office to submit his bill after consuming some pints of 'ashaba'. He had to issue an apology again in the newspaper.