"No Sacred Place Torched" clarifies Saikul CSOs as it lambasts Imphal-based media's unethical practices

The civil society organizations of Saikul categorically denied torching of any sacred place as it strongly clarified that the sacred Kongba Maru Laiphamlen is safe.

While vehemently accusing the Imphal-based media house of playing a destructive role in escalating violence, Saikul CSOs also highlighted that the Meitei's sacred Kongba Maru Laiphamlen was burnt down and damaged only by the unethical Imphal-based media but in reality it is not only safe but nothing harm has been done to the sacred place.

Seimang Lupho, President of Kuki Inpi Saikul Gamkai said that we have sent our volunteers to check if at all the Kongba Maru Laiphamlen was actually burnt down or damaged as reported by the Imphal-based media houses and they found nothing had been done to the sacred place and came back with a visual and photo of the Kongba Maru Laiphamlen as evidence.

Strongly refuting the media report, Lupho lambasted the Imphal-based Meitei owned media houses for their appalling conduct by providing a stage where journalists deliberately, through their coverage of incidents and events, mislead the audiences at this critical times and create toxic situation.

He continued that objectivity has mostly gone out of the window, and at best, we can say that the Imphal-based media houses have turned opinions into facts, and facts into opinions.

He also said that there seem to be no repercussions for journalists in inner Manipur who propagate inaccurate information under the disguise of investigative reporting as most of them have become stenographers, transcribing what content is already out there - often repeating propaganda or fake news instead of creating actual content.

"In inner Manipur, in the place of ethical journalism, the media themselves have become the story as a result of unethical practices", asserted Lupho.

Kuki Women Union Saikuk Gamkai President, Neinu Lupheng, also condemned the alleged misleading and manipulated reporting of Imphal-based media houses.

She said that manipulation is an illegal offense and it amounts to a deliberate misrepresentation of facts and thus fraud.

She continued that Journalism is a noble profession but the deliberate attempts to subjugate and suppress one community by Imphal-based media houses render this vast noble profession into puny lies and hatred institutions in Manipur.

Vehemently refuting the misleading and manipulated reports of burning down the sacred Kongba Maru Laiphamlen allegedly by suspected Kuki militant on July 6, KSO Saikul Gamkai President, Lamgouthang Chongloi slammed the allegation and condemnation of various Meitei CSOs including UKAL, and the inner Manipur based media houses.

He said that the Meitei CSOs and media has unceasingly attempted to tarnish the image of Kuki militants under Suspension of Operations while they deliberately ignored the gruesome brutality of the Meitei militants and the radical groups, the Arambai Tenggol and Meitei Leepun.

He pointed out that the blind accusation of the Kuki militants of torching the sacred Kongba Maru Laiphamlen is one more evidence among many others on the part of the Meitei CSOs and their owned media houses to drag in the Kuki militants with their vested sinister intention, which will never serve any purposes but only escalate the already volatile violence situation in the state.

He continued that as ethical journalism is important to society, double-checking of facts and knowledge of the events inside out is quintessential.

"It is very unfortunate that Journalism in Manipur has already been divorced from ethics and morality", he asserted.

He also accused the inner Manipur-based media houses of spreading the harmful unethical journalism in the state while terming that they [the inner Manipur-based media houses] have completely lost the core principles of ethical journalism - honesty, accountability, diligence, fairness, independence and objectivity.