Naturally India is proud to be a democracy. One of the pillars of democracy is the freedom of speech; hence the freedom of the press is its derivative. The Naga International Support Center, NISC, calls on all Indian journalists, regardless of their plumage, to exercise this hard earned freedom, this right to check and balance. NISC does not call on any of you without rhyme or reason; we feel compelled to do so because it seems to be the Indian press is either self regulatory or is curtailed. Here are a few examples on which NISC based this observation:
- Hardly a soul knows, inside or outside India, about the longest running war between the Nagas and the subsequent Governments of India which must have cost India hundreds of thousands of lives as well as billions of hard earned rupees; is it not an idea for investigative journalists to figure out how much of both India had to pay? Or, to do the very least, question the Government of India about these losses and to demand it will release the official statistics on this and ask about the policy which warrants such withheld information?
- Hardly a journalist ever asks the Government of India why this longest running war has to break a world record while at the same time it prevents journalists from getting information on what has been going on and what goes on in the Northeast in general and with the Nagas in particular. NISC thinks this can change!
- It looks like the history of the Naga Peoples is not well known to many journalists: neither from the Indian perspective nor from the Naga perspective. NISC would like journalist to delve into this because based on the annals of Great Britain is it not at all certain the land of the Nagas should be part of India. Ask for the official papers? Ask what the Nagas replied when they were invited to join India? Check both sides?
- Also perhaps ask if the Naga forces ever attacked India and ask what an Armed Forces Special Powers Act is doing in a democracy.
NISC understands the predicaments journalists are facing and likes to encourage you in your work if only for the important matter that you play a significant role in your democracy, a role which is just and like in this the Government of India is a representative role.
Know that NISC stands by you and will do anything in its power to uphold the practical implications of journalism, a task which prevents abuses of power, stimulates people to speak their mind, minimizes extrajudicial killings and torture but foremost do investigate and write about the affected people; from their point of view which includes affected powerbrokers too, political or civil!
NISC welcomes any journalist who knows, but dares not tell for fear of repercussion, to send info with proof to us and we will publish after checking facts and figures.
For more information visit www.nagalim.nl or get in touch via nisc@nagalim.nl
A Naga International Support Center, NISC www.nagalim.nl
A human rights organization
