SHILLONG: Following the adamant stance of Chief Minister Mukul Sangma in not withdrawing his abusive statement against the media in Meghalaya, the Meghalaya Editors and Publishers Association (MEPA) held an emergent meeting on Friday to discuss the reply of the chief minister to the adjournment motion brought by UDP legislator Paul Lyngdoh on his statement against the media fraternity.
MEPA president R.M. Shabong, in a press note, said, “The attention of Meghalaya Editors’ and Publishers’ Association was drawn to the statement of the Chief Minister in the House wherein he has argued that legislators enjoy the privilege to speak what they choose to and that a non-member has no right to question what is spoken in the August House.”
MEPA questioned whether it was legislative privilege to use abusive language against the media and seek shelter under the garb of constitutional privileges and parliamentary immunity. The chief minister’s allegations that media acts as publicity house of terrorist organizations and it was only paid news that they wanted to carry, reeked of legislative impropriety, the MEPA president said.
MEPA members also stated that they were seasoned professionals and understood their roles and responsibilities. They said that no legislator had the right to make sweeping statements against anyone in the August House and hide behind legislative privileges.
“The media carries out its duties to inform the public on all issues that affect them. As such there is no intention to be a mouthpiece of any group, organization or individual. MEPA, therefore, feels that the allegations leveled by the chief minster are misplaced, derogatory and irresponsible,” the MEPA release said.
MEPA had earlier approached the chief minister on March 16 requesting him to withdraw the derogatory statement but had received no response. Following this MEPA decided to carry blank editorials in local dailies on Friday.
The issue was taken up in the House on Friday by the UDP MLA as he felt that the media as a public body were aggrieved by the chief minister’s utterances.
After attack on media, Govt now blocks dues
After the derogatory attack on the media by Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, the Government has suddenly stopped all dues to media houses in the state citing curtailment of Non Plan expenses. The government treasuries have also rejected to endorse the ‘party bills’ that have been passed by the various departments. It is learnt that only POL and stationery expenses have been allowed.
Recently, the Meghalaya Editors and Publishers Association (MEPA) received a letter from the Food & Civil Supplies Department wherein it had expressed its inability to pay the dues of local media houses due to curtailment of Non Plan expenses.
In a meeting held with Chief Secretary P.B.O. Warjri last month, MEPA had sought his intervention for clearing the dues of the media houses.
Many bills have been lying unpaid for more than 10 years and most of them were below Rs.10, 000.
