IMPHAL, October 25: “I will not set foot in Mizoram again, until the journalists clarify. They have tried to malign my image and I will take up action”, Mary Kom said to officials of the All Manipur Working Journalists Union today at a formal meeting held at Manipur Press Club.
The confusion among the State scribes which arose due to the reports in various papers regarding the statement made by Mary Kom at a press conference at Mizoram on October 20 about the Manipur media discriminating her has been cleared up.
The pugilist re-asserted her stance once again that she had been misquoted by the Mizoram scribes. It may be mentioned that on October 22, she had addressed a press meet at Manipur Press Club denying the reports of various papers which charged her of hitting out at the local media.
A visibly agitated Kom swore that she was not at fault and the video tape of the press conference held at Mizoram could be witnessed by the AMWJU officials as proof.
“I have the recording with me and seen in several times. I have not mentioned that the local media has discriminated me for being a tribal”, she added that she called up the organizers at Mizoram and also inquired on how the matter was reported. “The Mizoram episode has been sour to me and I wish that I had not gone there also. I am demanding a clarification within a time limit otherwise I will not set foot in Mizoram again,” she also mentioned of taking up legal action if necessary.
AWMJU had earlier taken 2 days time for settlement and further clarification from Mizoram Journalists Association regarding the matter. President of the scribes body, A Mobi also asked Mary Kom if she had unintentionally made some statement in Mizo dialect and misinterpretation at the conference might have confused the scribes.
Kom stuck to her stance that it had not been so and whatever questions she doubted on was referred to her personal secretary. She had answered in Mizo but what she meant was very clear, she said.
In the regard, AMWJU also resolved to support her testimony. The scribe body viewed the report of some section of the Mizoram scribes as a deliberate attempt to tarnish her image and create a rift between the State media and her.
Further, it was also resolved that AMWJU will put forward a complaint to the Mizoram Journalists Association and also pray that necessary action be taken to the erring scribes. The matter will also be forwarded to the Federation of Working Journalists and the Press Council of India.