DIMAPUR, MARCH 11 (MExN): The Department of Veterinary & Animal Husbandry, Nagaland has taken strong objection to the so called “Open letter to the Chief Secretary and Governor of Nagaland” which had appeared in the March 10 issue of this newspaper wherein the writers numbering seven individuals had complained about the high handedness of the Secretary heading the Veterinary & Animal Husbandry Department.
In a strongly worded Rejoinder, the Director of the Department Dr N. Meyase pointed out that the letter had resorted to character assassination of the concerned officer. “The department views it as an attempt to defame it and its officers and staffs and to breed bad blood amongst the employees of the department. It is beyond human imagination that anybody would resort to use of such derogatory languages and indulge in mudslinging”, the rejoinder stated.
The department pointed out that after thorough scrutiny, it had been observed that no persons by the name of B. Ao, K. Rengma, M. Chakesang, S.N Angami, D. Lotha, N. Chakesang, L. Sema, K. Zeliang, H. Sumi, are employed in the department.
“We therefore dare the authors to come forward and reveal their respective identities rather than using some fictitious names. This is most cowardly and deserves condemnation by one and all in the strongest possible terms”, the Rejoinder further stated.
Mentioning that the department was unaware of existence of such people as mentioned in the letter carried by this newspaper, the department demanded of the concerned daily to reveal their identities.
The department has also viewed with grave concern the actions of the daily, in publishing the letter without ascertaining the identities and credentials of the authors as well as for not verifying the facts with the competent authorities of the department. “This, in our opinion goes against the journalistic ethics in vogue in a civilized world such as ours today”, the rejoinder from the department stated.
The rejoinder also informed that copies of the same letter were distributed to all the dailies based at Dimapur “which they responsibly declined to publish” and charged the editor for choosing to edit the letter “to his taste, which only goes to prove that the daily has approved of whatever was published”.
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