| Entry row
When AICC president Sonia Gandhi visited Imphal to campaign for her party on the eve of the State Assembly elections, journalists in Imphal boycotted the Congress (I) in protest against the party’s decision to prevent local journalists from covering a function attended by Gandhi. The then president of the State unit o the Congress (I) was Okram Ibobi Singh, now heading the Secular Progressive Front coalition. While the local journalists were barred, reporters coming
from outside Manipur were allowed to cover the function. Of course, the boycott was lifted following an apology by none other than Ibobi himself. He took the trouble to come to the office of the All Manipur Working Journalists Union. One thought that Ibobi had learnt one or two lessons. But has he?
The present face off between the journalists’ community and the team led by Ibobi Singh over restriction of entry of media persons to the State Secretariat smacks of the culture of babudom where nothing moves. The matter is all the more galling as the Chief Minister personally instructed the Chie Secretary in the presence of media persons not to impose any ban on the entry of reporters to the State Secretariat. Again in the presence of media persons the Chief Sectary instructed another GAD official to ensure that reporters and media persons are not barred from persons no less than the Chief Minister and Chief Secretary should be given the cold shoulder exposes the utter callousness of the officials occupying the seats of responsibility at the State Secretariat.
To allow journalists to keep a tab on the policy failure, whichever the case and keep the people informed. This way the acts of commission formulated or allow journalist. This way the acts of commission formulated or allow journalist
Given this background, the State scribes have some valid points to feel aggrieved. Transparency which was promised by all political parties just on the eve o the 8th Assembly election seems to have been clobbered for a big six, to borrow a cricketing parlance. The State Secretariat is the administrative hub of the Sate and it is but natural to allow journalists to keep a tab on the policy formulated or policy failure, whichever the case and keep the people informed.
This way the acts of commission and omission committed by the Government of the day are also monitored to a certain extent. The volatile law and order situation may necessitate the Government to screen the entry of visitors to the Secretariat but this should not be equated to restricting the entry of media persons to the administrative center of the State. The identities of reporters can be easily verified and it needs no Herculean effort to do this. If Chief Minister O.Ibobi was sincere when he issued instructions to the Chief Secretary not to bar the entry of reporters into the Secretariat then the least he can do is find out how his instructions were ignored. This will go a long way in redeeming the stature of the Chief Minister in the eyes of the public and will reinforce his Government’s comment to maintain transparency.
(Courtesy: The Sangai Express)
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