Opposition to ‘racial slur’ on MEPA member by youth VPP

SHILLONG, Feb 4: The Shillong Press Club (SPC) and the Meghalaya Editors’ & Publishers Association (MEPA), on Tuesday, lashed out at the VPP’s youth wing for making an allegedly racist remark in a social media post against one of the signatories to the letter seeking apology from VPP president Ardent Basaiawmoit for making ‘baseless’ allegations against two news channels — Batesi TV and t7 — and accusing them of disseminating fake news.
In a joint statement, the SPC and the MEPA conveyed strong exception to the post which also called for a two-wheeler rally on February 6, to protest against the signatory in question.
“The signatory for the MEPA, who is also the vice president of the Association, is a long-standing member of the press fraternity here and has worked in Meghalaya for over three decades. Under no circumstances can he be labelled as “mynder” (foreigner). Above all, the media in Meghalaya is cohesive and does not practice any form of communalism or racism but has remained a united fraternity serving as the fourth pillar of democracy with all the conviction they can muster,” the joint statement read. The two bodies added that it is a “racial slur to term a senior member of the press fraternity who is officially accredited by the State Directorate of Information and Public Relations as an ‘outsider’ when he is very much an Indian citizen like everyone else, unless the VPP considers Indian citizens residing in Meghalaya as foreigners.”
The press fraternity is committed to disseminating news as per media ethics without any fear or favour and without unduly patronising any political party, it added.