Morung Express News
April 29
DIMAPUR: To bring together a platform for journalists of the seven sister states, Panos South Asia and the Morung Foundation today began their initiative by setting into motion their study tour for journalists. An orientation was delivered by Subhir Bhaumik of the BBC at the conference hall of ‘Highway 39’, Padum Pukhuri, Dimapur.
Drawing from his wide experiences, Subhir told assembled journalists from Nagaland, and a few from the other states in the region, to transcend their identity barriers and to put on their thinking caps in the face of duress. He asked journalists to ask themselves, “How can I maintain balance and fairness in a surcharged situation?”
Subhir is BBC’s correspondent for India’s eastern and northeastern states. He had this to say of his working years in the region: “It has often meant ‘operating like a guerilla’ – illegal border crossings, dealing with intelligence agents, druglords, smugglers and ruthless rebels, snooping on corrupt politicians and government officials with illicit links to rebels and druglords.”
He maintained that when on the field the best judge is the reporter himself. His word of advice to every newsman present was to check and recheck a story before presenting it.
What he kept repeatedly telling them was not to succumb to political pressures and not to become ‘somebody’s man.’ His paper presentation was titled, ‘Soldiers, scribes, spies and rebels: The uneasy quadrangle in a troubled region.’
The orientation was an opportunity for journalists to understand and relate to issues akin to the region by way of dialogue so as to generate stories which emanate from the people’s perspective.
Later, former General Secretary of the Naga Hoho John Murry and Principal of the Oriental Theological Seminary Rev Dr Wati Aier interacted with reporters.
The scribes were given a gist of the Naga issue where the central theme dwelt on the necessity of dialogue and how to facilitate understanding between people. Exchange programmes for journalists of the region, it was informed, are in the offing. This would help them realize and be acquainted the complexities involved in different issues across the region which in turn could enlighten their audiences to a larger extent.
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