FIR against Editors Guild of India for biased report' on Manipur violence

Guwahati: In an unprecedented development the Manipur government on Monday registered an FIR against the president and three members of the Editors Guild of India accusing them of trying to create more clashes in strife-torn state.

Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh told reporters that state government has registered the FIR against the President of the Editors Guild Seema Mustafa, and three members - Seema Guha, Bharat Bhushan and Sanjay Kapoor.

Mr Singh said that the fact-finding committee members of the Editors Guild of India did not meet representatives from both communities (Meiteis and Kukis) and came to an ‘incorrect conclusion.’

He said, “I give a warning to the members of the Editors Guild, Who constituted them? if you want to do something, then do visit the spot, see the ground reality, meet the representatives of all communities and then publish what you found. Otherwise, meeting some sections only and coming to a conclusion is highly condemnable.”

The FIR was filed at the Imphal police station on the complaint of a man who claimed to be a social worker. The complainant listed different parts of the report, which he claimed were false and fabricated.

It is significant that on Saturday, the Editors Guild of India had released a report of its 'Fact-Finding Mission on Media’s Reportage of the Ethnic Violence in Manipur' which claimed that the media’s reports on the ethnic violence in Manipur were one-sided and accused the state leadership of being partisan. "There are clear indications that the leadership of the state became partisan during the conflict. It should have avoided taking sides in the ethnic conflict but it failed to do its duty as a democratic government,” the report of the Editors Guild of India had said.

Meanwhile, the state government has appointed retired decorated Army officer Col (retired) Nectar Sanjenbam, who was in charge of the operation to destroy militant camps in Myanmar eight years ago, as the senior superintendent of police (combat) in Manipur.