Bonnie Konyak
Chumukedima | June 21
A highly charged theme introduction by A. Lassa, Deputy Director General, DFP, Kohima set off inauguration session of the two day seminar cum workshop on Media and Development at Police Complex, Chumukedima today. Describing the Doordarshan, Kohima, as dysfunctional due to infrastructural deficiencies, the DDG said that the state of Nagaland media reflected a mass communication without the masses. Lassa asked the Centre to take up, without any discrimination, the cause of Nagaland DDK which was seriously short staffed, and added that DDK and AIR, Kohima were functioning without news editors and correspondents. Interestingly the DDG of the Directorate of Field Publicity, Kohima, omitted any mention of its own department, while highlighting the sad plight of media in the North East.
Nagaland Governor, K. Shankaranarayanan, who was the chief guest of the session also made mention of the regrettable underutilization of the infrastructure and capabilities in the DDK saying that such gaps must be filled. The Governor also brought out the tendency of the media to resort to sensationalism while competing with each other thus failing to give coverage to development issues. In this context the Governor of Nagaland said that the challenge was to make the issue more interesting. Shankaranarayanan also suggested that the DAVP could play a part to support the local newspapers by advertising more in the small and medium north east papers so as to improve its reach to the local people.
Member of Parliament Wangyuh Konyak also slammed the national media saying that none of the problems of the north east was highlighted in them, saying that the national media always portrayed the negative aspects of our society. This, Wangyuh added, was painting a very wrong picture of the Naga society, as a state in “deep political turmoil, and an uncivilized race run by gun totting youths and gangsters living off the Governments funding and subsidies and never out of sweat and blood and honesty”. He therefore stated that the media should “advertise the states positive issues and steps taken so as to make it appealing so that not only the Nagas but the general population of India” to draw them towards the positive aspects of Naga society.
The others who spoke during the inaugural session were Sonam Thargye, Director, DFP, New Delhi, Geoffrey Yaden, Chief Editor, Nagaland Post and the vote of thanks was delivered by Deo Nukhu, Deputy Chairman, Planning Board Nagaland.
The inaugural session was followed by the technical session. Besides the host Nagaland state, the programme is being attended by the states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, North Bengal and entire north eastern states.
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