Nightmare in the journalism realm of Manipur

Nando Waikhom *

The delegation of Press Council of India (PCI) interacted with Manipur's journalists on 25th September 2013 :: Pix - David M Mayum

My life is not always secure once a thought starts haunting my mind. Rather this thinking enervates me frequently by cutting off the enthusiasm for confinement to my penchant profession. I do not deserve to be called a journalist, but I would never be shilly-shally to claim myself as someone who loves the media profession whole-heartedly.

Parents and many veteran journalists who have been in the realm of practicing journalism and have already experienced the reality of the profession told me frequently in the past not to go into the media profession by revealing the media scenario in the state of Manipur and the hardships faced by the state's journo.

However, being a person who always tries to fulfill the desire, I had come out of the scuffle between my likes and my parent's dislikes. Since then, I have been engaging myself in a media house for some time and have enrolled myself in an institute of media professionalism learning in Guwahati with a hope for working more effectively and efficiently in the later days.

From the short time experience, I had in the media house of Manipur; I am cognizant that there is an overt mutilation in the life of working journalists in Manipur. This mutilation also affects the enthusiast of media like me as well, who are dreaming of working in this field and still pursuing relevant course (mass communication). In fact, this is the thought that torments me frequently.

Journalists in the state of Manipur are receiving the ends with the ever-increasing price rise of food and other essential commodities. They cannot meet their financial requirements in their life with the very meager salaries they are getting. Trapped in the obscurity of either to cherish their hectic affair or to fulfill their basic needs, they all are putting hands in the head.

Nonetheless, is the extreme pressure exerting from many dimensions that undermine them. It is not just few times that they have been tortured or threatened. Journey of journalism in Manipur until today does not lie that many Pressmen have lost lives and numerous others had met the brutalities of security forces, insurgent groups and unidentified gunmen while performing their duties.

Reminding few are RK. Sanatomba, editor of Kangla Lanpung, A Lalrohlu Hmar, editor of Shan, Th. Brajamani, editor of Manipur News, K. Rishikanta, junior sub-editor of the Imphal Free Press, Th. Dwijamani, stringer of the DDK, Guwahati who all were ill fated by the whirlwind blowing ever against the media personnel in the state so far.

Then, the incidents of physical assault, abduction, snatching of cameras and many other forms of violations that carried out by the security forces, insurgent groups and even from some civil sections of the society who could never understand the importance and role of media are innumerable to mention.

Keeping all these as the impact of worst law and order situation of the state, there is another key issue that hinders the growth of journalism in the Manipur. 'Pressmen' are not people somewhere beyond the earth. As they are humans too, food, shelter and dress are the basic needs to them. Therefore, it is pertinent to include about the economy of the Pressmen as a key element, while discussing about the active role and responsibility of the media in the state. It is because media personnel need the zeal of working in their profession for their proper conducts and smooth functioning.

The zeal cannot be obtained just from the emotional attachment to the profession. When maturity wakes up the heartfelt functioning of the media personnel, it ultimately guides them to the basic requirements for food and other essential commodities. Hence, here lies the need of the media personnel to get at least the manageable amount of salary.

In addition to this, more and more dynamic media professionals will be proliferate in the state if the present trend of journalism is in good shape. It is the right time to aware that there are many students, who actually want to choose the media profession course as their line of career, but desperately indulge in other line of career when they become aware of the working journalists' salaries.

Sadly, the matter has neither get serious attention from the concern authorities nor does it get favor in the public domain until now. Thus, the aspect of journalism in the state has no room for complacency as of now. Instead, it is becoming more complex day by day and filled with uncertainty that may be detrimental for future Manipur.

Even though the impact of unhealthy conduct of media like "checkbook journalism", sensationalism and the influence of commercialization is not much in Manipur's media till today, it is alarming in our state too. Here, I am not underestimating the ill-stared journalists of our state. But, it is high time for the Government to consider the matter seriously and do something to make the media persons getting at least the essential share of livelihood.

Another point that I think important to mention here for the justice of the journalists, is the cooperation from the public side as a part of the mutual aid between the public and the journalist fraternity. Truly describing the reality, the media are anticipated to be sacrifice for the motherland, but are excluding from the fair dealing of proper livelihood.

At the same time, the journalists' fraternity of the state like – All Manipur Working Journalists' Union (AMJWU) needs sharing their matter together with the other media fraternities in the North- Eastern states because the issue is a common issue for all the journalists in the entire region. Pressuring the Central Government and the concern authorities like – All India Working Journalists' Union (AIJWU), Press Council of India (PCI) etceteras, by forming a common fraternity will put more weight on the issue.

November 16 is the "National Press Day". This year theme is "role of the media in serving public interest". Let us together delve into the role of media in serving the public interest, but at the same time, let us also take a firm and earnest decision to stand together to give an end to our media's nightmare without forgetting that food, shelter and dress are the basic needs of every human beings. Only then, our state's journalism will be at the right tempo and capable of taking the perfect role of 'Press' in our democratic society, which is very much important for the prosperity of a society.