Back after a five day break The debate on the long break
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Imphal based newspaper houses are back at work after a five day break during the Yaoshang festival. Different takes there are with some questioning why the media, read newspapers, should take a five day break, with the one line statement that the newspapers going off press for five full days is stretching things to the limit. One can understand the rational in this stand, with some pitching in with the line that perhaps a three day break would be a better option for the newspaper houses. A point which has also been discussed by Editors, the Management sections of the different media houses and the distributors who are locally known as hawkers. And it was the outcome of one such discussion that the All Manipur Working Journalists’ Union, the Editors concerned and management sections decided to go in for a three day break. This was many years back, but the sight that greeted the Editors or rather the staff of The Sangai Express on the fourth and fifth day of the festival cannot be erased from memory that easily. Piles and piles of undistributed or unsold newspapers neatly stacked up was the sight that greeted the journalists on the said two days. Something like preparing a feast for 100 invitees but only 20 turning up ! Like any other venture, the newspaper houses too cannot be expected to run at a loss and unsold news- paper invariably means incurring huge losses. It should also not be forgotten that inter-district movement is severely impeded during the five day festival and within Imphal and the other valley districts, movement of the people is also severely impacted. This is all that more pronounced in the last few years when roads are blocked at numerous points for a leikai or a locality to hold its specific local sports meet. Put the young girls who come out in droves to ask for donations and one obviously cannot expect the distributors or hawkers to spend money while they are out collecting and delivering newspapers to add to the family kitty. Remember too that reporters need to move around to collect the day’s reports. It is the longevity of the festival itself which should be taken as one of the factors for the media houses to close for full five days. All these factors need to be taken into consideration before a finger is pointed to the journalists and the media houses for going off press for full five days. It should also not be forgotten that there are no Sundays or second Saturdays for the media persons and in a year the number of holidays, including the five day Yaoshang break, for journalists in any of the Imphal based newspaper houses, is 17 days ! A point that should not be forgotten. However the media houses in Imphal would be more than willing to listen and cut short the Yaoshang break, if the festival itself winds up in three days. A five day break during Yaoshang for the media persons, means that the festival itself is five days ! A point which everyone should mull over sincerely.
This is about the Yaoshang festival which has just wound up. And even as some debated on the five days break of the newspaper houses, the social media was also rife with comments and opinions on how the festival has taken different turns and twists down the decades. Different opinions and different takes, but all which should convince the people to look inward and study the twists and turns the festival has taken down the years. An inward look that can help Manipur in the years to come. This is how a place and people can progress and keep pace with the changing times and Yaoshang should be the right time for everyone to take a sincere look inward. Blocking half the road or at times the whole leirak to hold an event, is also more than an indication that open fields or grounds are no longer to be found in many leikais. Serious thoughts and studies may be given on the possibility of clubbing two or three leikai in any locality, so that their events may be held together at a given public space or a ground. Blocking the road should be understood in the context of what will or can happen in case of any emergency such as a house catching fire. Possibility of emergencies should never be overlooked. All in all, one hopes the youngsters had a good and meaningful Yaoshang, a time which provided the space for people to strengthen community bonding.
This is about the Yaoshang festival which has just wound up. And even as some debated on the five days break of the newspaper houses, the social media was also rife with comments and opinions on how the festival has taken different turns and twists down the decades. Different opinions and different takes, but all which should convince the people to look inward and study the twists and turns the festival has taken down the years. An inward look that can help Manipur in the years to come. This is how a place and people can progress and keep pace with the changing times and Yaoshang should be the right time for everyone to take a sincere look inward. Blocking half the road or at times the whole leirak to hold an event, is also more than an indication that open fields or grounds are no longer to be found in many leikais. Serious thoughts and studies may be given on the possibility of clubbing two or three leikai in any locality, so that their events may be held together at a given public space or a ground. Blocking the road should be understood in the context of what will or can happen in case of any emergency such as a house catching fire. Possibility of emergencies should never be overlooked. All in all, one hopes the youngsters had a good and meaningful Yaoshang, a time which provided the space for people to strengthen community bonding.