Oinam Sunil, Chief Information Commission of the Manipur Information Commission, praised the Imphal Times for its singular use of the Right To Information Act (RTI) in gathering and publishing information at a one-day awareness program organized by the All Manipur Working Journalists’ Union (AMWJU) in collaboration with the Manipur Information Commission. The event was a part of the year-long Golden Jubilee Celebration of AMWJU held at the Manipur Press Club.
Drawing on his own experience as a former journalist, Sunil emphasized the pivotal role of media in the effective implementation of the RTI Act. He nostalgically shared his professional journey and how leveraging RTI significantly impacted his reporting.
The program was also an opportunity to highlight the importance of RTI in journalism. In his opening remarks, Bijoy Kakchingtabam, President of AMWJU, described RTI as “the best weapon for journalists” to unearth information from the government. However, he noted with concern that only a handful of journalists in Manipur are taking advantage of this powerful tool. Kakchingtabam earnestly appealed to his peers to adopt and actively use RTI in their journalistic endeavors.
Thounaojam Ibobi, the former Chief Information Commissioner of the Manipur Information Commission, enriched the gathering with an in-depth exposition of the various sections and clauses of the RTI Act. Additionally, the event saw the public announcement of the names of the convenor and members of the newly-formed RTI Cell of AMWJU, signaling a renewed commitment to enhancing transparency in reporting.