Caste census is anyway an unpopular topic, even more so in the Indian media. But in the 2018 #mediarumble organised by @newslaundry, a report was launched detailing the figures and a panel was conducted on representation.
What’s the follow up?
In a predominantly tribal region like India’s Northeast, the number of Hindu upper caste journalists in national media is fairly astounding.
And yes their caste has a bearing on their reportage. Not necessarily better or worse but not without its mark.
Raising these issues itself makes one extremely unpopular and susceptible to being called ‘insecure’🙄 or a bigot
🤯
In the circle jerk cliques of journalism, we hardly ever question our peers. It’s not seen as a done thing.
Much has been written about Meira Paibis (as aggressors) and Kuki Zo women (as victims). But as always less is said about the resilience of tribal women as they battle misogyny and pursue justice for gender violence, I report for @thewire_in @apwld thewire.in/gender/how-man…
On the one hand, they’ve been subjected to widespread slut shaming on social media (sleeping with AR officials) often by Manipuri women including well known journalists. On the other, they’ve been told to play “peacemakers” with Meira Paibis thewire.in/gender/how-man…
Besides dealing with a hostile government and Meitei civil society organisations, Kuki Zo women activists working on the ground have also had to struggle with interferences and diktats from male-led tribal bodies thewire.in/gender/how-man…
Didn’t want to but felt compelled to write this thread on how the horrendous rape cases in Manipur came to light. It’s everything that is wrong with the media, not just in India but the intl outlets reporting this civil war.
Sexual assault on tribal women spurred by fake news about Meitei women being raped was first reported by Hoinehling Sitlhou. She gave it to @thewire_in but they didn’t respond. She isn’t a journalist but a respected academic from the Kuki-Zo tribe newsclick.in/how-fake-news-…
This was reported on June 1 when I was still in the States. I imagined reporters would swarm in to report these cases, follow their leads but the media had been kept busy reporting both sides including state narratives of poppy cultivation, drug wars and illegal migration.
So after the infamous NRC dossier from Assam, the Meitei dossier is out.
It reads like a mix of what AASU (all Assam students union) and MAGA Trumpians would have written.
Meanwhile a whole story on Manipur’s own Proud Boys has been missed by the media thanks to “peace loving” narratives on twitter of “but both sides are victims but only one side is indigenous”
How have the Guwahati bureaus not landed up in Churachandpur yet? Tyranny of distance?
Churches have been burned, people have been attacked and there are serious allegations against state police not taking any action. Tribals are calling for central security forces to be sent in.
Meanwhile guwahati journalists are wondering why are tribals attacking tribals ffs
For rest of India to understand why Manipur is burning is to first understand that all residents living in Manipur are not tribals. That Meiteis are not tribals.
I remember explaining this to a journalist from Gujarat who felt it was a matter of identity and self determination. NO!
Being scheduled tribe is not the same as being Bahujan, it is actually decided by the central Govt.
The other shocking thing for many Indians is to realise the casteist practices among non tribal Meitei society, post Vaishnavism. Here it is in NSCN-IM leader Th Muivah’s own words.
A couple of days ago I saw some Delhi journos tweeting about their fond memories of Army Public School, Dhaula Kuan. I too finished my high school from there. But my experiences are more bitter than sweet.
It was the first school where I was called ‘Ching Ching China’ that I had to endure for four years of my life. Even though I pushed back every single time, it was the most humiliating experience.
There were a few other NE army “brats” and Nepali kids. But none of them pushed back against the mostly Punjabi/Haryanvi kids who subjected us to this shit. They didn’t want to stand out. npr.org/sections/codes…