The seven daily newspapers of Nagaland (four English and three vernaculars) — Nagaland Post, Morung Express, Eastern Mirror, Nagaland Page, Tir Yim Yim, Capi and Ao Milen, published from Nagaland and registered with the Registrar of Newspapers for India (RNI) have been compelled to issue a public statement clarifying our stand with regard to the Newspaper Association of India (NAI), Nagaland Chapter.
1. The Nagaland newspapers have no official relationship with the Nagaland Chapter of the NAI. We understand NAI’s objectives are to encourage, develop, promote and improve regional local newspapers throughout the country. Therefore, being an association of newspapers it would have been prudent on the NAI’s part to have consulted with the newspapers in Nagaland while exploring possibilities of opening a Nagaland Chapter. Unfortunately, this did not happen. The Nagaland newspapers state clearly that we do not have any relationship with the NAI-Nagaland Chapter.
2. Furthermore, the Nagaland newspapers will not take any responsibility for the activities and actions of the NAI-Nagaland Chapter. We wish to put on record that none of the NAI-Nagaland Chapter members are presently associated with any of the seven newspapers named on this statement, and as such cannot claim to represent the Nagaland newspapers. Therefore, the seven newspapers are neither liable nor responsible for the actions and activities of the NAI-Nagaland Chapter.
3. Finally, the Nagaland newspapers openly state that no organization or group, including the NAI-Nagaland Chapter, has the right to represent the interests and welfare of the newspapers in Nagaland without due consultation and expressed written consent given by the newspapers.