| Every state, religion and culture has their | | | | African 'savages' mindlessly slaughtering |
| own good and bad phases. Greatness lies in | | | | each other as they had done from time |
| the ability to accept those and striving for | | | | immemorial.As a result, there was little |
| better human values which are worth to live | | | | public pressure in the West for governments |
| on this earth.Ignorance is lack of knowledge | | | | to intervene. Earlier, Rwanda was totally |
| about a thing. Since no one has a monopoly on | | | | ignored by the international media.Our |
| knowledge we are all ignorant in many | | | | unheard voice needs to be carried by media, |
| respects. We may harbour exaggerated | | | | but not our internal, baseless and |
| prejudices about each other initially but | | | | sentiments. Once media intervene, it will |
| through dialogue I hope we can dispel our | | | | pull longer without a resolution. They might |
| ignorance on what we are missing for a long | | | | get their circulation rises with lots of |
| time.Unfortunately, it was this ignorance | | | | stories, but at our costs.Producing ethnicity |
| about its own fraternity from hills that the | | | | and separatist kind of stories with burning |
| majority valley populations look down and do | | | | leads could not educate anything the readers |
| not care them, just on a mere rumour. A | | | | except producing disharmony and disunity in |
| rumour that was spread like some forest | | | | our multicultural society.In the West, print |
| fire!The media plays it; the Indian official | | | | media can publish whatever it likes. The 9/11 |
| will never succeed to educate its mainland | | | | and post-9/11, on-going human tragedies in |
| people where is Manipur and who are Meiteis, | | | | US, Europe and other parts of the world have |
| Naga, Kuki and Pangal. Lack of imparting | | | | been covered by some mainstream media in such |
| education has caused the identity issue now. | | | | a fashion that it directly hit the sentiments |
| More serious matter is they are focussing on | | | | of the local communities.The commercialised |
| the internal misunderstanding within us | | | | media, today, can entertain masses and |
| through ugly media.One of my business | | | | simultaneously gain remarkable profits on |
| associates from Singapore asked me | | | | their products, which may attract majority in |
| unknowingly, "Have you taken the land from | | | | the first place. However, whether these |
| Nagas? Why are they demanding land from your | | | | stories would promote harmony and solidarity |
| state?" What a surprised query! If that was | | | | in the multicultural Manipur state is the |
| asked by someone else, the reply would be a | | | | most important question of the day, for every |
| tight slap on his face. But the fault is with | | | | Manipuris.I hate seeing the footage or any |
| our media. I don't want to point out who | | | | news on Manipur and its internal issue. There |
| these media guys are- Indians, Meities or | | | | was an article in the HT-Delhi edition on |
| Nagas?Everyday killings, tortures, inhuman | | | | certain rally by some Naga organisations in |
| custodian death and human rights violation | | | | Delhi.For me it is a disturbing, burning and |
| are a far cry to normal world. No one is | | | | agitating material, which I believe would |
| informed of our daily struggles, but Nagalim | | | | have agitated unaccountable Meities readers |
| issue is like a hot cake.For decades, these | | | | against Nagas and equally feared many liberal |
| media neglected the true struggle from a | | | | Nagas who love peace like good Christian!The |
| small part of the world. Surprisingly, the | | | | media must play an important role in |
| issue is known by a chai-wala in the capital | | | | understanding complex issues on national and |
| too. They don't know where the state is, but | | | | international politics. It is also a |
| they talk of Nagalim as their cup of tea. | | | | responsibility of the media to consider the |
| Whose fault, our barking media!It would be | | | | implication of every story published on |
| more encouraging, instead of highlighting | | | | people's mind not just the selling |
| sentimental issues, if our media try to | | | | parameters.Media has its own strength of |
| spread message of our poverty, financial | | | | creating public opinion and to change public |
| crunch, untapped potential and our futures. | | | | perception on critical issues. This is the |
| Simply writing about Nagalim and the | | | | time where our media should feel more |
| struggles is not the solution.Don't focus too | | | | responsibility and promote peace, harmony and |
| much on such issues; keep on ignoring as has | | | | unity in our society. This is the time when |
| been done to our struggles since past 40 | | | | media, following the basic rules of |
| years. It will be our fault if we invite fox | | | | journalism, can play a vital role to maintain |
| into our backyard, only to find all hens | | | | unity, integrity and harmony in our society |
| missing. Who knows we suffer more than we are | | | | and guide the people on the issues of |
| now, due to invading armies in the name of | | | | sensitive nature.This is the time when |
| peacekeeping our region.Today the tension | | | | writers, intellectuals and journalists should |
| between India and Pakistan is widening. The | | | | be extra careful while documenting their |
| reason being media keeps people from these | | | | stories to avoid curiosity and uncertainty in |
| two nations in ignorance and dark. People | | | | the society. Media has the capacity to shape |
| must keep gathering the information these | | | | public opinion and perceptions, and this |
| media feed them.When the genocide came in | | | | devolves a great responsibility on the media |
| Rwanda, the erratic media coverage largely | | | | professionals.Mohen Naorem is a journalist |
| conveyed the false notion of two 'tribes' of | | | | from India. |