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- The
news of the Naga exodus that Star News so insistently flashed throughout
yesterday (July 20) was disturbing on two counts - both very grave.
First it was disturbing because we do not want an exodus of any
community to happen because it is just not fair. There can be no denying
that a good section of the Naga population in the valley have moved out,
during the past one month on account of the turmoil in the valley, but
the question is, is the scale big enough for it to be described as an
exodus, leave aside as a "massive exodus".
The apprehensions that led this section of the population to abandon
station is understandable.
The widespread protest in the valley against the proposed extension of
the ceasefire between the government of India and the Naga underground
organisation, the NSCN(IM), and the perceived danger of Manipur
disintegrating because of it, has surcharged the atmosphere in the
valley area (already 16 people have lost their lives and hundreds
injured). The fear that the ire of the protesters may turn communal
cannot be by any means irrational.
So far, the violence witnessed is far from communal, although some
provocative slogans and placards carried by the protesters during their
marches and sit-in dharnas, are becoming too loud for comfort. The
movement leaders, the United Committee Manipur, UCM, has made open
appeals to protesters to use only certain slogans that it approves as
totally free of communal overtones but the instruction is all too often
disregarded. The UCM must now make its appeals more forceful. On no
account must a communal twist to the present agitation be allowed. It
must also reach out to the section of the population made insecure by
the agitations to reassure them that it will stand with them, specially
in these times of crisis.
The situation is fluid and because of this, vested interests can easily
sweep the issue to suit their purposes. The exodus issue has highlight
this pretty well. Although for contrary reasons, there can be and must
be people on either side wishing the exodus to happen. We must together
defeat both. Vested interests can and seemingly are manipulating such a
human tragedy purely for propaganda advantages.
The second count on which the "exodus" news on Star News was
disturbing is because it seemed far too overplayed. Those of us who saw
the programme, will recall that the news bulletin was accompanied by
video clippings of a huge line of vehicles preparing to ferry
passengers. Although it was not stated, the impression created was that
this was one of the convoys detailed for a refugee rescue mission,
whisking them away from danger. Unfortunately those of us who are
familiar with the major towns of the Nagaland and Manipur know that the
town in the backdrop of the lined up "refugees vehicles" was
not Imphal but Kohima. A closer look will also reveal two things. That
the vehicles bear Nagaland registration numbers and that the vehicles
were faced towards Imphal and not the other way around. That is, the passengers
of these vehicles were headed towards Imphal and not fleeing from it.
And yet the impression created by the clever juxtaposition was just the
opposite.
Imphal journalists know that on July 19 there was a motor rally by the
women wing of the South Naga Union of Nagaland, SNUN, from Kohima to
Senapati. They also held a public meeting at Senapati, which pressmen
from Imphal also attended, although uninvited. There are every reason to
believed the lined up vehicles were from this rally.
According to the Star News bulletin, 20,000 Naga refugees from the
Imphal valley are now taking shelter in different refugees camps in the
Manipur hills and Nagaland. At Senapati, there are supposed to be 12
such refugee camps, sheltering refugees from including Maring, Thangal
tribes. This again is confounding for those of us who have knowledge of
the demography of the state. As for instance, why would a Maring like to
live in a refugee camp in the northern district of Senapati, or in
Kohima or Dimapur further north in Nagaland, when his home district is
in the southerly district of Chandel in Manipur.
The logic can be pushed further. If the Naga population flee the Imphal
Valley, in all probability they would head for not just their home
districts but their parent villages. For indeed, apart from the Kabuis
who have been in the valley for 100s of years and obviously longer than
any other Naga tribes, and may in all probability have lost touch with
their parent villages, most other Nagas are relatively recent settlers in
the valley and are still in close touch with their respective towns and
villages in the hills. Hence in the event of an exodus, it is only the
Kabuis who will land in the unenviable fate of a refugee. Not the
others, for they can take temporary and not so temporary shelters at
their parent villages. It is not a coincidence that only a small
percentage of the Kabuis population have left. For most of them, the
valley is their only home. It was also for these reasons that the press
in Imphal did not have any regrets of having played down this story as
per the request of the authorities, for it always knew it was in the
interest of not creating a panic in the surcharged atmosphere the state
is in. It was also with an understanding that if the Nagas from the valley
leave, it would be for a temporary break back in their parent villages,
only to return home when the situation has calmed. The big buzz here is,
there are vested interests taking advantage of the situation and
actually making these camps happen for propaganda advantage. We must
acknowledge that there are Nagas leaving the valley, but it is hardly
likely that they would be heading for refugee camps unless of course
they have been encouraged or else coerced to. Those in Nagaland should
not have much problem understanding this. It would be like the fate of
non Angami Nagas settlers, in a hypothetical situation having to leave
Kohima. They would definitely not head for refugee camp in Senapati or
elsewhere, but for their respective home villages and towns won`t they?
By the same logic when India was partitioned, Hindus in Pakistan did not
head for Afghanistan, but for India.
All in all, the Star News exodus report was a dishonest piece of
reporting.
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- Mr
Phanjoubam`s editorial in the " Imphal Free Press" takes off
from what he calls a "dishonest" and "overplayed"
Star News story on the exodus of Nagas (July 20) from the Imphal valley,
implies the story is part of the "vested interests"
manipulating the issue for "propaganda" reasons, goes on to
describe a wish list of the situation in Imphal ("we do not want an
exodus of any community to happen because it is just not fair" ....
"on no account must a communal twist to the present agitation be
allowed") and ends up justifying the fact that the press in Imphal has
downplayed the story. (" the press in Imphal did not have any
regrets of having downplayed the story as per the request of the
authorities for it always knew it was in the interest of not creating a
panic in the surcharged atmosphere").
We would like to categorically state that our story is both accurate and
balanced and we stand by our story and correspondent.
The fact that Nagas have been leaving Imphal is clearly not in
dispute.The scale seems to be. So how does one choose to report the
fact?
As Mr Phanjobam does: " There can be no denying that a good section
of the Naga population in the valley have moved out" ?
As " near ethnic cleansing" as the Naga People`s Movement for
Human Rights (NPMHR) does? ("The Nagas living in Manipur brought
very disturbing reports about the situation of near ethnic cleansing in
the Imphal valley. Over 65 percent of the Nagas in the valley have
reportedly fled to the hills. The exodus continues," Mr Neingulo
Krome, Secretary General NPMHR interviewed in the Indian Express August
3, describing a meeting of Naga groups on July 17 in Kohima.)
Star News chose `massive exodus"...in our attempt to steer clear of
downplaying the issue -- the Meitei view -- or overplaying it -- the
Naga view -- and attempting to reach a middle ground where we reported
the facts in a responsible manner.
Also, in our coverage of the situation we have chosen NOT to carry views
that we felt could add to the growing communal tension which is becoming
a divide:
-- Naga groups saying their press releases are not carried by the Meitei
press;
-- Naga parents moving out of Imphal saying schools were deliberately
not giving their children transfer certificates to enable them to move
to schools in other places;
-- Residents in Imphal`s Naga colonies describing how their houses were
pelted with stones, people banging on electric poles, forcing them to
join the "spontaneous people`s protests" in the city.
-- Naga colonies in Imphal told ( forced?) to put up placards within the
colonies saying they supported the review of the ceasefire.
The atmosphere in Imphal is clearly deeply vitiated, which we believe is
where the insinuation --- that our story is "propaganda " --
stems from . An insinuation that is disturbing, offensive and communal .
We have been following the issue of Nagas leaving
Imphal since it began and carried a very similar story on the 13th of
July. That evoked no response whatsoever. Is it a coincidence that the
first story was by Amitabh Revi , a non Naga correspondent and this one
-- which has evoked a storm of protest-- is by Bano Haralu, a Naga?
There has been a concerted campaign against Bano Haralu in Imphal since
the story appeared -- where the critique offered by senior journalists
in the city begins from the claim that she is a spokesperson for the
NSCN -- IM to the fact that she wears a cross around her neck.
This site can emerge as a very useful forum for journalists to reflect
on and discuss the issues that confront us and the choices we make in
our work. And while there will be differences in perception and opinion
there can also be genuine debate. But this editorial, unfortunately,
attempts to conceal its complete subjectivity in a tone of deep affront
and injury .
A motivated diatribe -- whatever its disguise --- is a dead-end, not a
starting point for a debate.
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