Imphal: The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) has condemned the legal threat issued by Meitei journalists against their seniors from the Editors’ Guild of India (EGI), the conscience keeper for the industry, for their report on the sectarian conflict in Manipur.
An FIR (no. 745 (9) 2023) has been filed against the EGI over its fact-finding committee’s recent report on “Media Reportage of the Ethnic Violence in Manipur”.
The ITLF said it is aghast at the move, which it sees as an attempt to intimidate and silence those who dare to speak truth to power.
The FIR was filed by Ngangom Sarat Singh, a resident of Sagolband Mabudhou Mantri Leikai, Imphal West on Sunday (September 3). Singh has accused the EGI of “defaming” the Meitei community in its report.
The ITLF said the report is based on facts and does not contain any defamatory content. It said the EGI team visited Manipur from August 7 to 10 and met with a wide range of stakeholders, including journalists, government officials, and members of the Meitei and Kuki communities.
The ITLF said the report is a fair and balanced assessment of the media coverage of the conflict. It said the report has exposed the biased and partisan reporting of some Meitei media outlets.
The ITLF said it is deeply concerned about the growing intolerance towards dissent in Manipur. It said the filing of the FIR against the EGI is a clear sign that the government is trying to stifle free speech.
The ITLF called on the Manipur government to withdraw the FIR and to allow the media to report freely on the conflict.
The ethnic clash between the Meiteis and Kukis started on May 3 and it is still continued.
The ITLF said it is committed to finding a peaceful solution to the conflict. It said it will continue to work with all stakeholders to achieve this goal.