EMN
Dimapur, June 7
Parliamentary Secretary for Information and Public Relation (IPR), K Khekaho Assumi stressed that Nagaland as well as the other sister states of Northeast need to project and highlight the positive aspects in the national media to counter the negative images of the northeast as a trouble torn, remote, backward and inaccessible corner of India as perceived by the outside world.
Stating that the general perception was the by-product of the negative reporting of the mainstream national media, Khekaho said it could be reversed only through positive reports in the media. He said this in his address at the first national conclave for promotion and media focus of Northeast as the guest of honour, organized by the Rotary International on the theme ‘Light up North East’ at hotel Radisson Blu, Guwahati, on June 6.
He lamented that the positive sides of the state like the development activities, excellence in music, arts and crafts, innovative progammes, unique features of the culture, costumes and tradition of the people, and the rare flora and fauna etc. hardly finds any mention in the national media.Khekaho said the primary function of the department of IPR is to put forth an effective presentation of the government purposes and objectives of the people, highlighting the activities, policies and achievements of the government, the best way to disseminate and highlight the activities, policies and achievements of the Government is through the mass media, both print and electronic, which reaches every nook and corner of the state every day.
For the northeast to be integrated mentally and economically with the rest of India and the world, Khekaho said the region needs to be featured prominently in the main stream media. He has also suggested positive participation of the stakeholders in implementation of the programmes that is transparent, effective and beneficial for the people.
Khekaho opined that one of the ways forward to have a strong and far reaching media capability for the Northeast is to assimilate and join in the march towards progress physically as well as mentally. He said it could come about if the IPR department in the states were empowered with the means to facilitate and strengthen the private media. He added that influential people in the Rotary International could help the people of the Northeast in their march towards understanding the dynamics of progress by creating awareness about the importance of public relations and media at the appropriate forum.
Governor of Nagaland and Assam, PB Archarya, had graced the function as the chief guest. Host of dignitaries including MPs and ministers also attended the programme.
