There hasn’t been much news coming from Manipur, but one photo has done the rounds thanks to Whatsapp and Facebook. You might have seen it too, since it was in the Indian Express yesterday. The article — one of the few in big media that discussed the current unrest in Manipur — showed a local leader, who has been agitating for Inner Line Permits in Manipur, seemingly pledging allegiance to the flag of the banned United National Liberation Front. The newspaper tried to play it safe, peppering the article accompanying the image with “purportedly”. However, the root of the problem is that the photograph is probably six years old.

Today’s Imphal Free Press explained why Indian Express should not have used that image:

“Among the four in the picture is the known face of the organisation secretary of the UNLF, Nongyai. The fact is, this man has been in the custody of the NIA since mid-2010 facing trial in the NIA court along with the former UNLF chief, R.K. Meghen, who was arrested one year later from Bangladesh. All these were widely reported in the Manipur media. In other words, the picture, even if it is authentic, will have to be at least six years old, with the possibility that it dates back much earlier.”

UNLF is the United National Liberation Front and Imphal Free Press suggests that the agitation for the inner line permit is being compromised by associating it with the banned insurgent group.

The editorial goes on to discuss the possible reasons for releasing and circulating this photograph now, where it might have originated from and its intended impact. “As expected, the picture is generating only unhealthy interpretations and unwarranted finger pointing, dividing further the already badly ethnically riven Manipur society.” The editorial also raises important questions about the photograph’s authenticity and how this six-year-old image reflects badly on Manipur’s government.

Newslaundry was also sent the image that Indian Express carried, that too from a Manipuri journalist in Manipur. However, we chose not to carry it because it couldn’t be authenticated.