Meitei Body Warns Media Against Fake News, Cites Fabricated Claims Aimed at Inciting Violence

New Delhi, June 21: The Meitei Heritage Society (MHS) strongly condemns the deliberate and dangerous spread of fake news, distorted narratives, and fabricated press statements by certain Chin-Kuki organisations and social media pages.

We caution journalists working with credible news organisations to guard against such propaganda tools which are aimed at maligning the Meitei community and provoking communal unrest in Manipur.

We are compelled to issue this cautionary notice as some news organisations that are seen to be credible have also carried fake and misleading narratives, which we would like to believe happened inadvertently due to deadline pressures and other factors.

In this regard, we have spoken to the editors/journalists of some news organisations and acknowledge their decision to delete and update factually incorrect parts in their reports based on evidence we have submitted, such as police and government statements.

Despite all these efforts, however, in the past few weeks alone, several malicious claims have been circulated with a clear intent to incite hatred and distort facts to malign the Meitei community. Here are few examples:

1. Lie: Kuki woman, Hoikholhing Haokip of Langchingmanbi village, killed by Meitei militants.
   
   Fact-check: The Manipur Police issued a statement on June 18, 2025 on X that in response to firing by an unknown armed miscreant, an elderly Meitei farmer, Ningthoujam Biren, was injured. The security forces then launched a search operation around Langchingmanbi village. The woman was killed during crossfire in the operation, the police said.
   
   Also read | ‘Woman from Langchingmanbi village Found Dead with a Bullet Injury’: Manipur Police
   
   Point to note: It is important to understand that the paddy fields are in the valley while the Chin-Kukis are settled on the hills. The firing that injured the farmer obviously came from the Chin-Kuki side, but the police being a neutral force did not single out any community in their preliminary statements. They said “armed miscreants” in nearly all the preliminary statements.
   
   This is a no-brainer which everyone who has been covering Manipur for some time knows.
   
   Action: Two leading media outlets corrected the misleading reports. We acknowledge the
   prompt response to our request.
   
2. Lie: The body of Lamnunthem Singson, a flight attendant who was killed in the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, cannot be flown to Imphal airport. The Congress party in Kerala also posted on X that her body could not be brought to Imphal.
   
   Fact-check: The Manipur government, under the President’s rule issued a notice on June 16, 2025 offering necessary arrangements for Lamnunthem Singson’s family to receive the body in Imphal airport. The Thadou tribe, to which Lamnunthem Singson belonged, welcomed the announcement and warned against disinformation by Chin-Kuki groups that may use the tragedy as a political tool. Many Meitei civil society organisations also expressed support and guaranteed free movement.
   
   It is another matter the family decided not to take the Imphal airport option, which we understand given the duress they would be in from Chin-Kuki groups and we respect that decision. But it is far from the truth that they were denied access or could not come to Imphal airport.
   
   Point to note: Lamnunthem Singson’s cousin was the one who did most of the speaking to the media. Her mother remained quiet. The cousin said they don’t want to be a spectacle by bringing the body to Imphal airport – because the real spectacle happened between Dimapur and Kangpokpi with frontal groups of Chin-Kuki militant organisations sponsoring escort, human chain and candlelight vigil, etc. to present an eye-candy coverage opportunity to the media by cashing in on a tragedy.
   
   Action: The Congress party in Kerala deleted the tweet. The tweet posted on June 19, 2025 3:04 PM said that the body of the Meitei cabin crew who also died in the crash has been “received and cremated.” The body of Ngathoi is still in Ahmedabad and yet to be identified, let alone received and cremated. We appreciate the Congress party for acknowledging the disinformation and deleting the tweet.
   
3. Lie: Arambai Tenggol claimed Shirui Hills belonged to Meiteis and called Manipur a “Meitei land”.
   
   Fact-check: In a video, some Arambai Tenggol members standing on the Shirui hilltop and holding the Salai Taret flag (ancient flag of Meitei’s seven clans) were heard saying “Mother Manipur,” “Mother Shirui” and “Long Live Manipur.”
   
   However, a Facebook Page run by a Chin-Kuki team, which has now shut down to escape legal action, circulated the video with the caption that the Arambai Tenggol members said the “Shirui Hills belonged to Meiteis and Manipur belonged to only Meiteis.” This provoked ethnic tensions.
   
   Point to note: It is crucial to note that this was not isolated cases. It is a well-documented disinformation campaign unleashed by Chin-Kuki propaganda teams using fake and misleading information to malign the Meiteis since Day 1 of the Manipur crisis.
   
   Action: The FB post has been shut down fearing legal action, after a Meitei fact check team exposed it and the true identity of the admins.
   
   The beginning of the fake and misleading narratives campaign:
   
   Lie: Meiteis destroyed or burned the unrecognised Anglo Kuki war gate, triggering the violence on May 3, 2023.
   
   Fact-check: On June 5, 2023 The Indian Express published an opinion piece by Hyderabad based professor Kham Khan Suan Hausing claiming the violence was triggered by the “retaliatory destruction of the Anglo-Kuki War Memorial Gate” by “Meitei mobs” following the thrashing of a Meitei driver in Churachandpur by Chin Kukis.
   
   While the assault on the Meitei driver was authenticated, the so-called Anglo Kuki war gate was never destroyed. Rather, a few tyres were burned at the concrete base of the Anglo Kuki war gate by unidentified miscreants. This has been confirmed by several officials, no less than the Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi, who personally inspected the site and said the burning of the gate was a rumour that led to the violence.
   
   This was the first opinion piece on the Manipur crisis, which shaped the fake narrative. It is available even today here https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/manipur-riots chilling-methods-madness-8592834/
   
   Carpet bombing of many such articles and opinion pieces across media houses followed as part of the well-orchestrated propaganda campaign. This has been covered in detail in the study ‘National’ Media and Manipur Mayhem: The Fourth Estate as a Site of Information War’ carried out by a research team under Inner Manipur MP Dr. Bimol Akoijam and Prof Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Delhi, which analysed five leading National media houses’ coverage of Manipur violence during May 2023-August 2023.
   
   We request news organisations to verify their sources before publishing or airing sensitive information to avoid misleading propaganda-driven narratives that deepen the divide between communities.
   
   We understand the challenges of reporting from Manipur due to lack of resources and access to the conflict zone. But please do not allow such limitations to be the reason to be misused by vested groups.
   
   The media plays a crucial role in giving correct information to the public, which will help in restoring peace, besides upholding the professional integrity and reputation of your respective organisations.
   
   For media inquiries, please contact:
   Mob: 9821485259
   Email: [email protected]

This is a Notice issued by the Meitei Heritage Society on June 21, 2025.

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