Paomee Welfare Foundation (PWF) - A QUEST FOR INDEPENDENT MEDIA

Media, termed as the fourth pillar of democracy, plays a pivotal role in influencing mindsets is undisputable. This makes it crucial for the media to be independent of any influence or unbiased in its reporting, in order to give out verifiable information with which the citizens can then discuss and debate issues, challenge their governments and make informed decisions. CHALLENGES OF INDEPENDENT MEDIA

True financial independence in the media is nearly impossible to find. The influence of money in the media can be gouged from the trending conception of what constitute a news these days. More often than not, it is the unspoken self-censorship that causes an editor to turn down a story not because it is bad or wrong but because it’s just ‘not what we do’. Whether the basis of this self-censorship is the fear of losing advertisers, or the fear of pissing off the bosses, or even the fear of offending someone, the effect is the same. The near-impossibility of true independence in journalism is expressed not by what is published, but by what is not published.

INDEPENDENT MEDIA

Independent Media is that media which operates free of any influence from both the government and the non-government. When people get information from independent sources, they are encouraged to think critically and form their own opinions. This makes independent media vital for any democracy or society.

GENESIS OF PWF

All Manipur Working Journalists’ Union, AMWJU, being an apex body of working journalists in the State has been defending the ‘freedom of the Press’ whenever and from whomever the curtailment of that freedom occurs. So far, the unity of the fraternity has been its strength. Whether there is threat to the freedom of the press and journalists come under threat or attack from the state as well as the non-state actors, AMWJU carry out protest demonstration to get its concerned addressed. The mode of protest includes sit-in protest, protest march, black badge, media boycott and even in extreme cases, indefinite stoppage of daily publications.

Deeper introspection reveals that lack of financial security of journalists in the State has always acted as the overwhelming stumbling block towards the growth of responsible and creditable journalism or independent media in the State. Towards addressing this gap, an initiative towards building an ecosystem for the growth of independent media in the State was initiated by AMWJU under the president-ship of Wangkhemcha Shamjai, when his team of 2015-17, actively supported by all members of the Union, decided to raise a “Journalists’ Corpus Fund”.

People from every walk of life –judiciaries, legislators, bureaucrats, Manipur Police and other law enforcing agencies, non-government organizations, civil societies and individual citizens, generously contributed, leading to successful fund drive, a mega lottery, drawn on 20th November 2016. The fund drive helped raise a whooping corpus fund of Rs 8,527,783/- for AMWJU.

Following the General Body resolution adopted on 18th of March, 2017, the ‘Paomee Welfare Foundation’ (PWF) came into being as a Public Charitable Trust of AMWJU under the Indian Trust Act on 26th April 2017. Its primary mandate being the safe-keep of the corpus fund and to use the revenue gathered by way of the interest earned from its deposit in a nationalized bank to provide financial (medical) assistance to needy bona fide, retired and present journalists of Manipur, affiliated to AMWJU. Considering the economic background of journalists in the State, even a nominee of a bon fide member’s family is covered as one-time relief offer.

COMPOSITION OF PWF

The Foundation is composed of a ‘Board of Trustees’, comprising 17 Trustees with a Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Managing Trustee, Secretary, Joint Secretary, Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer, Publicity Secretary and the rest designated as executive Trustees. Of these, seven trustees are classified as Lifetime Trustees; seven others are nominated and elected as Trustees via voice-vote for a 5-year term from the media fraternity who have distinguished themselves in the field of journalism and have credible reputation, and three of the Trustees are co-opted from amongst the serving office-bearers of AMWJU, namely, President of AMWJU, who officiates as the Managing Trustee of the Trust; Secretary General of AMWJU takes charge as the Joint Secretary while the Treasurer of AMWJU is the Trust’s Assistant Treasurer of the Trust.

Following adverse debate on the concept of ‘Lifetime Trustees’ in the Board of Trustees, a rectification process of the DEED is currently underway to do away with this classification of Trustees. Efforts are being directed to undergird the ‘Board of Trustees’ from dissolution to safeguard continuity of the spirit and mandate of the Foundation which gave the birth of ‘Lifetime Trustees’ in the first place. After the rectification process in adopted by AMWJU through its GB, the Board of Trustees would become a permanent body with only a group of Trustees retiring to be replaced by newly elected members. Each Trustee would be elected for a given term of three years other than the coopted Trustees.

FUNCTIONING OF PWF

While it is true that Paomee Welfare Foundation is a Trust set up by AMWJU, its operation is autonomous and remains outside the ambit of AMWJ in accordance to the Indian Trust Act which clearly states that the Board of Trustees is the highest decision-making body of the Trust. As per the DEED of the Trust, all major decisions, particularly financial ones of the Foundation are to be taken by a 2/3rd majority vote of all 17 (seventeen) Board of Trustees.

MEDICAL BOARD

As per the DEED of the Trust, a high-powered Medical Board is mandatory for deciding the amount of financial assistance for expenses incurred on the medical needs of beneficiaries. While considering applications, relating to claims of assistance, the Board of Trustees is mandated to put forward the same before the duly constituted Medical Board. The recommendation of the Medical Board is considered by the Board of Trustees for appropriate Medical Assistance. Currently the Medical Board is officiated by the Director RIMS, Superintendent of JNIMS and Dr. O. Guneshwar Singh representative of JNIMS and Managing Director of Shija Hospital & Research Institute, Dr. Kh. Palin.

CURRENT SCHEMES OF PWF

I Reimbursement of Immediate Medical Relief Assistance, (RIMRA) is a scheme that primarily reimburses wholly or in parts the amount of expenses incurred by AMWJU in offering financial assistance to its members who falls sick or sustain injury in an accident under the Immediate Medical Relief Assistance. So far, PWF has disbursed to AMWJU, between 2018-2019, an amount of Rs 2,020,00/- (Rs. 1,50,000/- handed over to Oinam Ibochouba, Treasurer, AMWJU on 05.04.2019). (Rs. 52,000/- handed over to L. Shanjikumar, Treasurer, AMWJU on 08.08.2019)

II Covid19 Relief Fund Considering the unprecedented situation caused by the Covid 19 pandemic, Board of Trustees of PWF had resolved to donate Rs. 1,00,000/- (rupees One lac only) as Covid’s Relief Fund. This amount was handed over to S. Bokuljao Meetei, President-in-charge on 03.06.2021

II Medical Financial Assistance, (MFA) is a scheme currently undertaken and disbursed directly by PWF. This scheme is awarded to eligible beneficiaries for critical and life-threatening illness every six months annually. All eligible applications for MFA are forwarded to the Medical Board, comprising representatives of the heads of RIMS, JNIMS and Shija hospitals. After detailed deliberations based on supporting treatment and expense documents submitted by the beneficiaries, the Medical Board make its recommendations for each beneficiary. The Board of Trustees then deliberates on the recommendations of the Medical Board and after considering the current financial position of PWF, approves the recommendations and disburses the schemes. PWF has successfully doled out in three phases between 2018-19, Medical Financial Assistance to 28 beneficiaries, amounting to Rs 9.60 lakhs (List of MFA beneficiaries in provided below.)