Misinformation and Disinformation: Negating Meiteis media manipulated news reports

On the eve of Christmas, there was an uneasy calm in the boundaries of the Kuki-Zo border areas adjoining Manipur, as there were intelligence inputs about possible attack by the Meitei militants. There was also audio and video doing the rounds in social media wherein the Meitei God [Ibudhou Pakhangba] is said to have delivered a message about possible gunfights in at least three fronts on 24 December 2023 till the next morning. Therefore, the Kuki-Zo volunteers were on high alert during the festive season. On 23 December, at about 7pm, the Kuki village guards at Yaingangpokpi had reported the movements of more than 50 vehicles, and though there was no major gunfight till the morning of 25th the Meitei Militants could be seen from a distance preparing for attack on the Kuki villages.

Finally, the first attack on the Kukis in the Yaingangpokpi area came from Meitei militants at around 10am on Christmas Day, and this was followed by exchange of fire in some other fronts as well. The intelligence reports and the observations of the Kuki village guards were proven accurate. If the Kuki volunteers were not on high alert, the assault could have been fatal and would be a disaster of the various fronts.

At the end of the day, the Meitei newspapers and television channels were busy falsely reporting that the Kukis were targeting the Meitei villages on the Christmas day. Even self styled Meitei leaders such as COCOMI’s Khuraijam Athouba posted on X, targeting the Kukis, as: “This is how the deceitful Christian celebrates Christmas 2023. They welcome the Lord Jesus with illegal arms and drugs. Religion is just an opportunity to them.”

On 26 Dec. (25 Dec. was a press holiday), the Imphal Times, a biased Meitei newspaper, carried a front page story with the headline: “Kuki-Zo militants perpetuate terror on Christmas Day”. The headline of Paonilkhon, another Meitei newspaper, also reported with total malice that Kuki militants had started firing towards Tronglaobi. Kangla Pao, too, reported that many villages around Yaingangpokpi were under attack from Kuki Militants, and added that several houses were damaged with many villagers leaving their home for safety. Pandam reported Kuki militants firing towards Yaingangpokpi and Tronglaobi. Kangleipakki Meira alleged that Kuki militants had shouted from the hills inviting Meira Paibis to join them in the Christmas celebration.

The next day, all the major Imphal based newspapers owned and managed by Meiteis carried all the fake stories. The Meitei’s The Sangai Express carried a front page story with the title, “Kuki Militants Renew Attacks on Meitei villages”. The story mentioned Yaingangpokpi, Thamnapokpi, and its adjoining areas in Imphal East district, and Tronglaobi Maning in Bishnupur district, as some of the Meitei settlements under attack on Christmas day.

The Meitei’s Echel Express was more vibrant than The Sangai Express and expanded the list of villages as Yaingangpokpi, Thamnapokpi, Sabungkhok Khunou, Sanasabi, Shantikhongbal, being under attacked from the Kuki militants. It also blamed the central forces for being mute spectators. Manipur News headline read: Kuki militants fired at Yaingangpokpi, central forces remained mute spectators at Tronglaobi. Hueyen Lanpao also carried a news item titled “Kuki militants attack continues even on Christmas day resulting in a gun fight in three locations.”

Sanaleibak not only write about the exchange of firing, but also has a story on the hardships faced by Meiteis of Sapormeina Meitei Leikai who have been allegedly deprived of their basic rights including voting rights.

On 28th December the editorial of Imphal Free Press wrote: “(T)he Kukis, village volunteers or militants... were shooting down automatic rifles and blasting bombs towards the nearby Meitei villages on Christmas eve and on the day of Christmas itself. The Meitei villagers, for example in Yaingangpokpi area, had no alternative but unleashed their anger and frustration against the central forces who remained unperturbed but went on patrolling in the villages which were attacked.”

The editorial continued: “Perhaps they [Central Forces] were instructed by their higher-ups that instead of confronting the attackers entrenched in the bunkers along the hill ridges it is safer or judicious to prevent the volunteers of the targeted villages from retaliation and killing each other.”

The whole propaganda of the Meitei media in this saga of one-sided reporting has been to demonise both the Christian Kuki Tribals, and also the central forces who have been busy maintaining calm in the buffer zones. Not surprisingly the Imphal based newspapers reported the gunfight in the same tune. This is one, but perfect, example of the degree of independence the editorial teams of these media houses enjoy. In other words, all these newspapers are being controlled by someone else. Otherwise, all these newspapers wouldn’t have reported such fake news in exactly the same line.

There is no doubt that there were gunfights in Twichin-Phaimol/Yaingangpokpi and Lamka/ Bishnupur fronts. But as in the past, it is always the Meiteis who first attacked the defence postions maintained by the Kukis, by flying drones to check the location of the Kuki village guards. The Kukis being Christians do not have intentions of engaging in gunfights on auspicious occasions like Christmas. Yet the Meitei militants, including Arambai Tenggol, Meetei Leepun and the state police commandos, are always eager to keep the frontline busy so that they can stay relevant and keep feeding the Imphal based media houses owned solely by the Meiteis and sustain their one-sided narrative.

Meanwhile, there were some positive developments recently. A call for peace was started by the Meitei Chief Minister N. Biren Singh and it was backed by the meitei media. The Sangai Express headline on 27 December quoted Biren: “It will take time, but we should all collectively strive for peace through dialogue.” The Sangai Express editorial on 28 December also wrote about the need for a dialogue as the “only feasible way forward.” Sanaleibak headline also carries the statement of the CM: “There are many Kukis who want peace.”

The Imphal Free Press editorial on 25 December had wrongly declared that, “they[Meiteis] did not go about attacking nearby villages”, hinting that the Meiteis wouldn’t attack the Kukis on Christmas day. The editorial of The People’s Chronicle also carried a story with the title “Let’s give peace a chance”. All these appeals for peace vanish into thin air as the Meiteis in the frontline continue to attack the Kukis.

(Published in the Thingkho le Malcha on 29-12-2023)