STATEMENT
BY THE NETWORK OF WOMEN IN MEDIA, INDIA
(NWMI)
We need to learn from the northeast
IMPHAL, March 8, 2009
In what can be considered a
landmark event, around 60 women journalists from across India met in Imphal
from March 5 to 7, 2009, to attend the seventh annual conference of the Network
of Women in Media, India (NWMI). This represents
the first gathering of such a large number of Indian women journalists, across
all media and representing many languages, in the Northeast.
NWMI is a national network that aims to provide a forum for women media
professionals to share information and resources, exchange ideas, promote media
awareness and ethics, and work for gender equality and justice within the media
and society.
For many of us this has been our
first visit to Manipur and the Northeast region and it has provided us an
incredible opportunity to interact with its people. We feel particularly
privileged to have been
present today when Irom Sharmila was released from the J. N. Hospital in Imphal
where she has been detained because she has been on an indefinite fast
demanding the repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958. Today
marks the 8th year that she has sustained this protest. We were also inspired
to meet the Meira
Paibis, the women who have been on a relay fast for 88 days in support of
Sharmila.
We are aware that the people of
the Northeast, especially the women, have lived in a conflict situation for
more than six decades, but the reality of what they face has not impinged on
the consciousness of the rest of India.
We are deeply concerned about the long-standing recourse to the AFSPA in
a situation that requires serious and sustained political, economic and social
initiatives in partnership with local communities.
Along with our media colleagues
in the Northeast, our network would like to consider how we can bring quality
and depth to coverage of this region so that the rest of India understands the
realities on the ground. At the same
time, as situations of terror and conflict increase in other parts of the
country and journalists grapple with the challenges of covering those events
and their fallouts, we believe we have much to learn from our journalist
colleagues in the Northeast. We have
gained many insights about how they cope with everyday strife in covering
conflict issues and we hope to create a strong network of solidarity with them.
Signatories for the NWMI,
Ammu
Joseph, Independent journalist, Bangalore Ananya
Chatterjee Chakraborti, Independent journalist and filmmaker, KolkataC
Vanaja, Independent journalist and Film Maker, HyderabadCharumathi
Supraja, Independent journalist, and Consultant - Centre for Advocacy
and Research (CFAR), BangaloreKalpana
Sharma, Independent journalist from Mumbai. She is also on the Board
of Directors, International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF)M
Suchitra, Editor, The Quest Features & Footage, KeralaSameera
Khan, Independent journalist, MumbaiSandhya
Taksale, Executive Editor, Saptahik Sakal, PuneTeresa
Rehman, Principal Correspondent, Tehelka, Guwahati, Assam.Thingnam
Anjulika Samom, Freelance journalist, ManipurDr.
Vidhulata, Editor, Aurat, & Vice President of the Working
Journalist Union, Madhya Pradesh
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