DIMAPUR, DEC 3 (MExN): A clear-cut message rang across the premises of the office of Nagaland Post, Dimapur today. The media cannot be used as an instrument to further self gratification. This was the common sentiment and voice echoed by Governor Shyamal Datta as well as Geoffrey Yaden, Editor of the largest circulating daily in Nagaland. The newspaper celebrated its 15th anniversary today marked by the attendance of high ranking dignitaries including Home Minister Thenucho.
After inaugurating the newly constructed and impressive office building of the Post, the Governor said, “In the age of fear and favour, the media happens to be the last beacon of hope and democracy.” He lamented that a section of Naga society is of the view that they are bigger than the Press. Those who adopt a tit for tat policy are living in a fool’s paradise, he advised. Stating that the Press has often been threatened for vested interests, the 64 year old IPS alumnus said that the media is a watchdog working towards enhancing one’s performance and that the fourth estate could not be coerced or manipulated for selfish interests. He conveyed his wish that 2006 arrives as a bumper year in terms of peace and prosperity.
Nagaland Post Editor Geoffrey Yaden who started the first ever English daily in Nagaland recounted how the paper underwent initial hiccups and turbulences to eventually reach at where it is today. Dwelling on the topic of truth, the Editor said, “The decision of truth versus the society is always a battle.” He articulated the media as the mirror of the society and added that it was the duty of newspersons to ensure that the mirror remained clear in order to reflect the genuineness of the profession.
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