Today, a somber yet emotive ceremony was organised in connection with the 30th death anniversary of late Nongmeikakpam Sanajaoba, regarded in Manipur as the pioneer of investigative journalism and remembered as Lamyanba Sanajaoba at Singjamei Wangma Kshetri Leikai, Imphal East.
It was organized by the Lamyanba N. K. Sanajaoba Ningshing Thoupang Lup under the aegis of the N. K. Sanajaoba Memorial Trust, and this year it turned into a stirring reflection on the fearless legacy of a man who dared to question authority at a time when silence was the rule.
Announcing this, trust president Waikhom Nageshwar Meitei said that from next year onwards, a new honour, namely the Best Investigative Journalist Award, would be instituted to celebrate and perpetuate the indomitable spirit of Lamyanba Sanajaoba among Manipur’s new generation of journalists. The function was also attended by senior journalist Ahongsangbam Mobi and several media veterans, who termed the initiative “a long overdue recognition” of the state’s most daring journalist.
The floral tributes were led by Ningthemcha Sanayaima, formerly chairman of the United National Liberation Front (UNLF), who recalled Sanajaoba’s unparalleled courage and vision. “In 1960, when he founded Lamyanba, he was not just starting a journal — he was igniting a revolution in the way truth was written,” Sanayaima said.
Late N.K. Sanajaoba was one of the founding members of the PANMYL, which was formed in 1968, and became the founding editor of Lamyanba, a monthly journal that broke new grounds since its inception in 1969. It broke away from conventional narratives and boldly exposed political and administrative injustices — something that Manipur’s press had never done before.
It was this very defiance that saw him land in prison under the Sedition Act in August 1969. He was arrested after Lamyanba fearlessly lampooned the then Chief Commissioner of Manipur, Baleshwar Prasad, branding him “Looter of Palace Gun” and “Amuraba Alibaba” — remarks that rattled the corridors of power. The publication What is Wrong in Manipur, brought out by PANMYL, was also deemed seditious, leading to Sanajaoba’s detention.
Attending today’s memorial included Ningthemcha Sanayaima (Meghan), Waikhom Nageshwor, senior journalist A. Mobi, Ksh. Thoiba, president of SEYO, and Rinku Khumukcham, the Editor of the Imphal Times, as Chief Guest, President and Guest of Honour respectively.
Three decades on, the pen of Lamyanba Sanajaoba continues to inspire a generation that dares to write what others fear to whisper-a befitting reminder that in Manipur, journalism was once a weapon, and its first warrior still lives on in every story that seeks the truth.