Manipur Journalists' Union Threatens Legal Action Against PUCL Over Defamatory Ethnic Conflict Report

The All Manipur Working Journalists Union (AMWJU), the largest journalists' organization in the state, has issued a legal notice to the People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) regarding a controversial report on the Meitei-Kuki ethnic conflict.

In a statement released on Thursday, AMWJU demanded "immediate and unconditional withdrawal" of the PUCL report, which they claim contains "baseless, unverified, and defamatory allegations" against their organization. The journalists' union is also seeking a public apology from PUCL.

AMWJU strongly contests several allegations made in the report, particularly claims that the union plays a "decisive role" in publishing biased news stories related to the ethnic tensions. The journalists' body further objected to accusations suggesting they are involved in threatening and coercing journalists, and that they deliberately exclude certain members.

The union took issue with the report's terminology, specifically the use of phrases like "Imphal-based Meitei media," which they consider communally divisive. AMWJU also rejected allegations regarding their stance on "illegal immigrants."

AMWJU clarified that membership to their organization follows established guidelines governed by their constitution, national laws, and state DIPR regulations. They emphasized that membership is open to all qualified working journalists employed by RNI-registered publications.

According to AMWJU, the PUCL report contains allegations based on "unverified hearsay" and was published "in complete violation of the principles of natural justice," as the journalists' union was never contacted for their perspective.

Their legal representative, Hijam Chandrakumar, stated that the "reckless publication" has significantly damaged AMWJU's reputation and credibility built over decades of upholding journalistic ethics and press freedom.

The journalists' union has announced its intention to pursue both civil damages and criminal defamation charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023 if PUCL fails to respond to their concerns within 30 days.

The contentious PUCL report made several serious allegations regarding the Manipur crisis, including claims that former Chief Minister N Biren Singh played a partisan role and that state security forces were complicit in arming non-state actors and allowing violence to continue unchecked. The Meitei community has criticized the report as insufficient and selective in its coverage of Kuki militants' involvement in the conflict.

In its executive summary, the PUCL report concluded that "the violence was not spontaneous but orchestrated, enabled by armed Meitei vigilante groups like Arambai Tenggol and Meitei Leepun, and facilitated by state complicity and law enforcement failures."

The report recommended establishing a special investigating team under Supreme Court supervision to investigate all instances of ethnic violence and the security forces' role. It also called for investigation into hate speech incidents before and during the conflict, with prosecution of perpetrators, including political figures and state officials.

PUCL researchers visited multiple relief camps in Manipur to interview survivors, including vulnerable populations displaced by the conflict, and also met with Manipur residents who traveled to Delhi to speak with the PUCL team.

The People's Union for Civil Liberties, currently headed by rights activist Kavita Srivastava, was established in 1976 as People's Union for Civil Liberties and Democratic Rights under Jaya Prakash Narayan's leadership, before being renamed PUCL in 1980.

Separately, Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla addressed media professionals on Wednesday during Akashvani Imphal's Diamond Jubilee celebration. The Governor urged journalists and broadcasters to uphold truth, ethical values, and exercise restraint in their reporting, stating that media tools "can either heal or harm." He emphasized that responsible media should "inform, enlighten, and unite people, rather than dividing them."