TODAY -

Manipur cannot go on like this : Free for all situation
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: September 22 2023 -



Something has to give. Manipur cannot go on like this forever. Is the Government listening ?

Over 160 killed, 60,000 people now homeless, numerous houses razed to the ground and many others missing.

It has been like this since violence erupted in the evening of May 3 and yet after more than 115 days, everything suggest that things will continue like it is.

Delhi is indifferent, Imphal is confused and the people are angry, though it is not very clear with whom the people are angry.

And this cuts both ways.

Is the anger directed against the people on the other side of the divide or is the anger directed towards the Government and in the process make the people the collateral ?

More than 115 days and things are still as hazy as it was in the initial days of the violence.

All reflecting the reality that the Government has failed, miserably failed since the evening of May 3 and there are elements out there who seem more than happy in adding that extra dose of masala to make the situation more ‘colourful’.

So even as the demand that the five persons picked up late in the evening of September 16 should be released, it did not stop some key board warriors to punch in their ‘thought provoking’ lines and interpret it as the ongoing clash morphing into an intra-community clash.

This is the reality reflecting the total failure of the Government to study and read the situation right.

Curfew seems to be the only answer the Government has at the moment to tackle with the situation and so after 48 hours of bandh against the arrest of the 5 persons, followed by the attempts to storm police stations on September 21, the people of Imphal now stare at a 24 hour curfew to restrict their movement.

How much such a measure will go on to rein in the situation remains to be seen, but with the Government groping in the dark over what to do next, keeping the people locked inside their houses under a spell of curfew seems to be the only alternative.

What is the way forward ? No easy answer here, but one way of takings forward would be for the Government to show that its writ also runs in the hills.

When a gathering of people is rudely dispersed using smoke bombs and when village volunteers are arrested on the charge that they were in possession of looted guns, what has stopped the Government from cracking down on those who have been firing incessantly at the villages located at the foothills ?

The arms looted from the police armouries in Imphal and elsewhere in the valley districts have been noted, but how about the bullets that continue to rain down on the villages at the foothills ?

Where have these guns come from ? How about the seemingly endless rounds of bullets ?

A question which has been raised repeatedly by The Sangai Express in this column but with no answer from the authority concerned.

Has the Government done anything concrete to ensure the safe travel of people on the Imphal-Dimapur line ?

What are the signs to show that the writ of the Government runs on this route ?

Doesn’t it say something significant that it has taken a civil society organisation like the Tangkhul Naga Long to come out and ask Kuki militants to stop threatening passengers along the Imphal-Ukhrul route ?

What has happened to the much publicised model of Union Home Minister Amit Shah that the Centre would take the responsibility of ensuring peace in the hills while the State Government should look after the same thing in the valley ?

‘You take care of the valley, I will do the same with the Hills’, was probably the one line statement proffered by the Union Home Minister to the Chief Minister but what does the reality say today ?

The failure of Delhi is writ large on the gun wielding elements who continue to stop and search vehicles on the National Highways and on the roads connecting Imphal to other hill districts.

Last heard was that even the Meitei Pangals have been given the standing instruction to stop taking the Imphal-Dimapur route by the powers that be at Kangpokpi district headquarters.

This is the situation and it is amid this that an audience with the Prime Minister is still something which has not yet materialised.

Doubtful if it will materialise at all in the coming days. Says something significant.



* Comments posted by users in this discussion thread and other parts of this site are opinions of the individuals posting them (whose user ID is displayed alongside) and not the views of e-pao.net. We strongly recommend that users exercise responsibility, sensitivity and caution over language while writing your opinions which will be seen and read by other users. Please read a complete Guideline on using comments on this website.




LATEST IN E-PAO.NET
  • Relief Materials @Sawombung : Gallery
  • Violence in Manipur 2023 :: News Timeline
  • December Calendar for Year 2023 : Tools
  • Manipur champions 29th Natl Thang-Ta
  • Rollback of Kangpokpi District
  • India's G20 Presidency & multilateralism
  • 8th eNorth East Award 2023
  • Politics over dead bodies
  • The darker side of Kuki CSOs
  • Sagol Kangjei Esei #1 : Gallery
  • Featured Front Page Photo 2023 #5: Gallery
  • Petition to Rectify UN PR surpasses 100000
  • Workshop : Integration of Social Change
  • Homemade face packs with honey
  • Indo-Naga Talks (From 2012) :: Timeline
  • Where have the guns come from ?
  • Securing future for the next 1000 years
  • Oinam Chaoba Devi: Sepak Takraw : Gallery
  • Mirik Memories
  • Program Explores Gender & Mental Health
  • Ensuring proper sanitation as careers
  • Purul Paoki (Paddy Plantation) #2 : Gallery
  • Young Adulthood: A Blank Canvas
  • Demand for Naga Flag, Constitution are hurdle
  • Meitei Alliance officially launched [Upd]
  • Indian fisheries : The sunrise sector
  • The descent of Radha-Krishna #12: Download
  • 6th NE Fashion Week : Final Report
  • Misuse of medicines is making infections ...
  • A unique initiative by Coal & Lignite PSUs
  • Relief Materials @Moirang : Gallery
  • Plant disease management in organic farming
  • AMEA - 40th foundation day
  • HPV Vaccination Services launched
  • 40th Foundation Day AMEA : Gallery
  • 43rd Foundation - Manipur Women's college
  • Is Myanmar on the brink of 'breaking apart'
  • Guideline for preparation of UPSC exams
  • Art Exhibition: RKCS Art Museum #3 : Gallery
  • Growing call to find all TB to stop TB
  • Ethnic strife in Manipur :: Poem
  • Meitei 'Tribal', almost ST now
  • Honouring tribal tradition and pride
  • Questions on sticking to SoO
  • Pinning hopes on justice delivery system
  • Naga-Kuki Clash 1992-94
  • Volcanoes of India
  • Climate in 2023, a tipping point for crisis
  • Day 3: 6th NE Fashion Week
  • Photography & Creative Writing Contest
  • Time to go after the big fishes
  • Political insensitivity to suffering of citizens
  • Interview : Ayekpam Maipak (Sepak Takraw)
  • Shillong Cherry Blossom Festival
  • Technologies in veterinary extension services
  • National Integration & Social Harmony
  • Paradox of ignorance & quest for knowledge
  • More than sighting a flying object
  • Seeking central help to end conflict
  • Relief Materials @Phubala : Gallery
  • Adolescence Crisis
  • European Higher Education Virtual Fair
  • Day 2: 6th NE India Fashion Week
  • Will govts firewall health from Big Tobacco
  • Missed call campaign from MTU
  • Questioning the legitimacy of Kuki history
  • The descent of Radha-Krishna #11: Download
  • For Whom the Bell Toll ?
  • Cancer Awareness at Imphal East
  • Winter Relief for IDPs at Moirang
  • Licypriya to miss UN Climate in Dubai
  • Careers related to controlling diabetes
  • Relief Materials @Sawombung : Gallery
  • Those responsible for 'removal' of RN Ravi...
  • Relief Distribution at Sawombung
  • JAC against Brutal Killing of Birchandra
  • National Lok Adalat at Lamphelpat
  • India's UPI: Global front-runner in digital
  • The ill-logic of ITLF's self-rule declaration
  • Frustrated call for 'self rule'
  • Sonia Khundrakpam: Yuva Puraskar Award
  • Moirangthem Nilamani: Lifetime Achievement
  • The Power of Poppy - 9 :: Poem
  • Maipak Inka: 1st Inpui Christian Convert
  • Cancer Awareness & Screening at Thoubal
  • World Diabetes Day 2023
  • The self-rule ultimatum of ITLF
  • Debate over ST for Meiteis demand
  • Designate Moreh as a Special Admin Zone
  • Relief Distribution at Keibi Heikakmapal
  • Black Rice & Glycemic Index
  • Innovative nanofertilizer for green agriculture
  • Art Exhibition: RKCS Art Museum #2 : Gallery
  • Surviving Pre-adolescence
  • Ride Against Narco Conspiracy
  • 15th Manipur State Film Award 2023 Results
  • In the stillness of night :: Poem
  • Skincare essentials for travellers
  • Dark Diwali & Fasting Chakkouba
  • Killing two birds with one stone ?
  • Morning : Mera Houchongba #1 : Gallery
  • Ningol Chakouba Funds to Support IDPs
  • A book & a story for the kids
  • World Diabetes Day - 2023
  • Burning hay is suicidal for farmers
  • NCC Car Rally - Nagaland Leg
  • Tasks before the Government
  • The sound of silence - missing teens
  • Tangkhul legends & Tenimiyas
  • Catch them Young! Early Childhood
  • Merciless November :: Poem
  • Free Eye Camp on diabetic retinopathy
  • Ningol Chakkouba or Chakkoudaba
  • Internal displacement, not separation
  • An indication to road ahead
  • Manipuri Student in Bangladesh : Gallery
  • Meeting with SABF, NID & CCU Taiwan
  • Livelihoods Development Program for IDPs
  • NSUD Diamond Jubilee Celebration at Delhi
  • Sleep :: T Lingcholi Sangtam
  • Disaster Management as Career
  • Mass rally demanding NRC #2 : Gallery
  • Licypriya appears in CBSE textbook
  • Mapam Lamdam Chatnatha :: Poem
  • Absurd rebuttal of Shimray
  • Rebuttal to article "Meitei's exclusion"
  • Writing India's growth with logistics efficiency
  • A place of pride on the medals tally
  • Time for India to rethink on its balancing act
  • Promoting Chakhao : Manipur's Black Rice
  • Truly powerhouse of sports : Manipur
  • Scholarship for Nursing & Paramedical
  • Legal Services Day & Commendation
  • Cancer Awareness at MU
  • Digital Library for the benefit of students
  • Drop the two Ministers
  • The bane of prolonging internet shutdown
  • Interview with Shanglakpam Nilakanta
  • Successful fruiting of Thailand Yongchak
  • 5 selected to attend 54th Intl Film Fest
  • Know your pest : Spiralling Whitefly
  • Flagging off ceremony of Mobile Van
  • World food India 2023 & beyond
  • Disturbing writings on the wall
  • At odds with the SoO pact
  • Guard of honour: Anand Kumar #2 : Gallery
  • Relief Services @Serou : Gallery
  • 6th North East India Fashion Week
  • Know more about canine parvovirus
  • Preventing Exploitation of Environment in War
  • Missing : The thread that connects
  • The right way to deal with miscreants
  • Hope Fest, for people displaced #2 : Gallery
  • The Power of Poppy - 8 :: Poem
  • Tokhu Emong: Post Harvest Fest of Lotha
  • Mizoram: AAP leaders from Nagaland ..
  • Theatre Workshop & Book Review
  • Hand-over Moreh to Army
  • Manipur needs to come to her senses
  • Capitalising on Manipur crisis
  • Mass rally demanding NRC #1 : Gallery
  • The Sentinelese, World's Lonely Tribe
  • Mental Health and our Environment
  • Condemns Committee's Highhandedness
  • Beauty tips for the perfect Diwali look
  • Lying for a lost cause
  • Is internet ban the answer ?
  • The descent of Radha-Krishna #10: Download
  • The last gaze- makes millions weep :: Poem
  • Which is responsible- greed or grievance
  • Felicitation of Awangbow Newmai
  • Let's safeguard our heritage through AV
  • Garo Language in Eighth Schedule
  • Mera Houchongba #2 : Gallery
  • Time's ceaseless voyage :: Poem
  • Vegetable/ fish IFS by using water tank
  • World Food India 2023
  • Leap for higher education in India
  • Defang the militants
  • Decoding objection to state force deployment
  • Guard of honour: Anand Kumar #1 : Gallery
  • Meira Paibis- between violence & narratives
  • Winter Relief Services : Gallery
  • Meetei ST Status: An artificial Controversy
  • The Human Mind Unravelled :: Review
  • Detecting illegal immigrants
  • Who is responsible for death of Moreh SDPO
  • Ayekpam Maipak (Sepak Takraw) : Gallery
  • Condemn cowardly killing of Moreh SDPO
  • SC Jamir recalls encounter with BK Nehru
  • Veganism- big way to save environmental
  • The essence of Rashtriya Ekta Diwas
  • Time to act with an iron fist
  • Dragging on for nearly 180 days
  • Water as cultural symbol of Meiteis
  • Condemn the brutal act at Moreh
  • The Power of Poppy - 7 :: Poem
  • Tuesday holiday not Friday !
  • Relief at Temporary Shelter Home
  • Ningthamtha changlakpagi relief camp
  • The politics of conflict : Why is AR here ?
  • Role of fringe elements in prolonging crisis
  • Chaga Ngee: Age-Old festival of Liangmai
  • Kolkata, the Roshogolla City
  • Breast Cancer Awareness at Khwairamband
  • Career for women in police
  • What to do when your dog is poisoned
  • Ensuring rule of law matters more than ever
  • Mind your common sense: Carcass in Loktak
  • Bor khoiramba @Hiyangthang #2 : Gallery
  • When will we start caring for our caregivers?
  • For those who stood :: Poem
  • Meetei exclusion from ST- queer controversy
  • Visit to relief camps : Gallery
  • Signature campaign: Rectify UN press release
  • Winter Relief @ Kakching : Gallery
  • Tarpon chaklen @Andro #1 : Gallery
  • 4th Rongmei Freshers' Meet (Delhi)
  • Shanglakpam Nilakanta (Hockey) : Gallery
  • Rally against Narco-Terrorism #4 : Gallery
  • Students Murder Protest [Sep 27] #3 : Gallery
  • Students Murder Protest [Sep 26] #3 : Gallery
  • Help for injured students : Gallery
  • Collective fund for injured students
  • Students Murder Protest [Sep 27] #2 : Gallery
  • Students Murder Protest [Sep 26] #2 : Gallery
  • Students Murder Protest [Sep 27] #1 : Gallery
  • Protesters & AR @Pallel #2: Gallery
  • Rebuttal: EGI Fact-finding Mission Report
  • List of Kings of Manipur: 33 - 1984 AD
  • Model of Spelling-bee Competition
  • HSLC 2023 :: Top 25 Rank Holders
  • HSLC 2023 :: Subject Topper
  • HSLC 2023 :: Full Result
  • HSLC 2023 :: Compartmental Result
  • HSLC 2023 :: Pass % : Govt Schools
  • HSLC 2023 :: Pass % : Private Schools
  • HSLC 2023 :: Pass % : Aided Schools
  • HSE 2023 Toppers :: Science
  • HSE 2023 Toppers :: Arts
  • HSE 2023 Toppers :: Commerce
  • From May 3, 1993 to the present
  • COVID-19 : Impact in Manipur :: News Timeline