Kohima: A Nagaland minister on Sunday criticised a section of media for making sensational reports out of Nagaland Chief Minister Shurhozelie Liezietsu’s condolence message on the demise of NSCN-K chairman S S Khaplang. Shurhozelie had on Saturday issued condolences on the demise of Khaplang, which had been questioned by section of national electronic media as to how could a state government condole the demise of a “extremist”.
Nagaland Forest, Environment and Climate Change minister, Imkong L Imchen while extending support to the CM’s statement expressed surprise over the reaction of the national electronic media. “Why is the national electronic media so much against the statement of Nagaland chief minister on this issue,” he asked.
“The fourth estate is one of the crucial organs of Indian polity and government. They are no doubt part and parcel of nation building and therefore are expected that they present every news item without fear and favour so as to serve the citizen of the nation with the correct information and present the right perspective,” Imchen said.
“Everybody knows that Dr Shurhozelie is one of the torch bearers of the regional politics in the state and have been witness to many political upheavals over the last 60 years or more,” he said.
Imchen also questioned the credibility of those media persons attacking Shurhozelie’s statesmanship. “They don’t realise that by their presentation they have utterly misled the nation and therefore they are not worthy to be called members of the fourth estate fraternity”, Imchen said while accusing media houses of putting the Naga political issue in a wrong perspective. (PTI)