Probe inevitable to expose mayhem instigators
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: May 10, 2023 -

0F the slew of decisions such as payment of ex-gratia for the deceased, compensation of varying amount to those injured and extend financial assistance to rebuilt houses destroyed in the communal clash, government's move to launch inves-tigation for ascertaining genesis ofthe deadly conflict is most imperative as visual evidences and eye witness accounts point to involvement of well-armed persons starting the confrontations.

As told to the media by chief minister N Biren on Monday, the government has approved to extend ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh for the dead/ expired, compensation of Rs 2 lakh for the grievously injured, Rs 25,000 for non-grievous injuries and up to Rs 2 lakh as relief for families, whose houses have been burnt down, after proper assessment by the authorities.

With exception of the amount for rebuilding houses torched or damaged in attacks by the mob, all the amounts mentioned are as per the standard govern-ment guidelines and practice.

However, considering the market price of construction materials, assistance of Rs 2 lakh as relief for the houses destroyed would be infeasible to meet the expenses even for wooden structures.

Thus, it could be safely stated that efforts to rebuild the houses with the said government-fixed amount would put enormous pressure on the house owners, who, obviously, can't be accommodated and cared for in the relief camps for long period.

For now, the relief camps are being flooded with cash and material donations from benevolent citizens but such generosity is unlikely to last much longer, especially as only 20 per cent of the population belongs to the creamy layer of the society.

Keeping aside the compensation amount, the govern-ment has taken the right decision to order investigation into the incident as responsibility must be fixed and the instigators exposed for presence of such disruptive elements will not only foment socio-ethnic tension in the future but also continue to create problems for the government.

Thus, it is wished that the government constitute the probe panel at the soonest possible and unearth whoever plotted one of the bloodiest clashes in the history of Manipur.

Interestingly, CM Biren's assertion that the investigation will cover government servants who abdicated responsibility validates suspicion among the public that some top officials could be covertly involved in polarising the society on ethnic lines.

While swift response by the Union government to despatch additional security personnel was decisive in curtailing the mayhem, the state government should expedite the process for a thorough investigation into all aspects of the communal violence for those scheming to drive wedge among the ethnic communities must be brought to book and punished accordingly without which peaceful coexistence of the people in a multi-ethnic state like Manipur would be merely wishful thinking.

As the situation is technically under control in almost every part of the state and paramilitary forces deployed in sensitive areas ensuring no fresh outbreak of violence, the government should accord importance to impartial probe for delivering justice to those innocent people who lost their lives and thousands rendered homeless for no fault of theirs as well as prevent recurrence of such unwanted incidents in the future.