Agitate with responsibility ! Understanding the onus
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: August 15 2015 -
To underline a point and lodge a protest against the failure of the Government to deliver is a given, especially in a democracy. This is a right.
But like all rights, this too should come along with a dosage of responsibility.
Unfortunate it is, but the fact is the people here just do not seem have registered the responsibility part.
On the part of the Government too, due thoughts should be given on why people resort to violence and unruly conduct to lodge their protest.
The past is more than enough indication that the Government has never bothered to listen to the voice of the people and it is only when the people come out on the streets to protest do the Government wake up to the gravity of the situation.
This is exactly what is happening today in Manipur.
True the Government will have to study all the legal and Constitutional ramifications while drafting any legislation to check the large scale influx of outsiders into Manipur, but the least it could have done was demonstrate that it has taken note of the voice of concern raised by the people.
That it failed to do so can be surmised from the immediate rejection of the Manipur Regulation of Visitors, Tenants and Migrant Workers Bill some time back.
What happened after that is there for all to see.
One student killed and numerous others injured in the course of the agitation taken up. Now with Chief Minister O Ibobi explaining that the Government will not be able to finalise a new Bill before August 15 and table it on the floor of the Assembly, Manipur may just see a renewed bout of agitation.
This is about the future, read the next few days, but the time is also more than right that the people sit down and think over the methods used to raise their voice of protest.
It was just a few days back when Imphal and the valley areas resembled a besieged place.
The agitation may have been ‘rested’ for the time being but there are still tell tale signs on all the roads, lanes and by lanes of Imphal of the days of protest.
A good number of vehicles would have also needed a visit to the tyre retreading and repairing centre.
Difficult to say when the Government will be in a position to repair the damaged portions of the roads and it is the people who have to bear with the inconveniences.
Not that conditions were exemplary earlier, but today the situation is such that a ride through any road or lanes and by lanes of Imphal is much more than a bumpy ride.
Portions of the road blocks put up during the days of protests are yet to be removed and the black toppings on long stretches of the roads have given way.
During the days of agitation, riding through the roads of Imphal was a literally a nightmare as drivers had to be on the look out for broken shards of glasses, coming from the numerous empty bottles that were thrown onto the roads.
Protest the people must but good to remember that all protests come along with its share of responsibility.
Nothing much to suggest that the people here have learnt that they have a corresponding duty whenever on protest.
Moreover targeting public property can only prove detrimental to the people and this something which should be taken note of by everyone.
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