MJA miffed at Cabinet's remarks on media's role

Aizawl, Dec 19 (UNI) The Mizoram Journalists' Association today reacted against the Cabinet's recent remarks on the media reports of the rice scarcity situation at Lamherh village.

On November 24, the media had reported that about 33 families, from Lamherh village in the northeastern part of Mizoram, were on the verge of starvation following the Mautam (bamboo flowering) famine.

Later, a Cabinet meeting, convened on December 10, said, that the Cabinet has found the media reports on the situation in Lamherh as lacking intention to find the truth. It (the Cabinet) therefore, expresses the need for carefulness on the part of the media as half-truths can mislead the people.'' An executive meeting held today at the MJA general headquarters reiterated, ''On learning that Lamherh village was running out of rice stocks, some mediapersons rushed to the village to assess the real situation, interviewed the village leaders and visited the government godown.'' The MJA issued a statement saying that it had found the Cabinet's remarks as ''unfortunate and disheartening'' and criticised the state government's practice of blaming the entire media.

UNI