Defamation of Meghalaya and its people
From Our Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI, June 18: Voice of the People Party MP Ricky AJ Syngkon on Wednesday asked the Centre to initiate strong action against a section of the national electronic and digital media whose highly erroneous reports about the recent murder of Raja Raghuvanshi in Sohra, has disgraced and defamed the indigenous people of the hill state giving a blow to their meagre livelihood.
“I am writing to express my deep concern regarding the conduct of certain television news channels and digital media platforms in the aftermath of the unfortunate incident involving a honeymoon couple—Raja and Sonam—who had recently visited Meghalaya,” Syngkon said in a letter to the Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Ashwini Vaishnaw.
Without waiting for the facts to be verified or the investigation to conclude, several media outlets aired speculative and inflammatory content that unfairly targeted the people of Meghalaya, he added.
Irresponsible statements branding the state as “unsafe for tourists” and “crime prone” and implying collective culpability on the part of the local population are not only inaccurate but also highly damaging, the infuriated Shillong MP said.
Such reporting has hurt the sentiments of the people of Meghalaya and has the potential to erode trust, disrupt communal harmony and impact tourism and public perception. This kind of prejudiced coverage reflects a disturbing disregard for journalistic ethics and professional responsibility, the MP said.
By presenting conjecture as fact and amplifying stereotypes without any evidence, these media channels have compromised the principles of balanced reporting and due process, he argued.
Syngkon urged the Minister to take note of this matter and consider issuing an advisory or directive to all media outlets, reminding them of their obligation to uphold ethical reporting standards—especially in sensitive cases involving ongoing investigations.
The Ministry may also examine whether such content constitutes a violation under the Programme Code prescribed in the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995, he pointed out.
Meghalaya is a peaceful and culturally rich state and its citizens deserve fair, respectful and fact-based representation in the national media, Syngkon said.
“I am confident that the Ministry will take appropriate steps to address this matter and uphold the integrity of responsible journalism,” he hoped.