CM at the 14th Convocation of MU : A persona-non-grata ?
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: May 01 , 2014 -

CM at the 14th Convocation of MU on 29 April 2014 :: Pix - Deepak Oinam

Time for some plain talking. Not the time for political or social niceties here.

Was it a goof up on the part of Manipur University or a deliberate act ?

How else does one explain the fact that the Chief Minister of Manipur was not invited on the dais but was seated amongst the other invitees during the 14th Convocation and Special Convocation of Manipur University on April 29 ?

A reminder may be line here, especially for those who were behind the seating arrangement for the Convocation function.

It goes beyond the question of protocol, though it stands that a Chief Minister in his home State comes in at number 7 in the list of protocol in India.

This is not all. Remember the Chief Minister is the head of the people.

In the case of Manipur, Mr Okram Ibobi, with all his warts and other short comings is the leader of some 27 lakh odd people.

Why did such a simple thing fly over the heads of the wise men who were responsible for arranging the function ?

Moreover a Chief Minister should and cannot be just an invitee to any official function and certainly the Convocation function of a Central University like Manipur University on April 29 was not a private affair.

Scripting an infamous first in the history of not only Manipur University but also other varsities, is how we would like to put it.

Mr Pranab Mukherjee was not the first President of the country to attend a Convocation function of Manipur University.

Just to flip back the pages of history by some years, there was the redoubtable Mr Abdul Kalam when he graced the 10th Convocation of MU on October 16, 2006.

Mr Ibobi, who was also the Chief Minister then was accorded the due respect, that befits a Chief Minister.

It was the same thing when the then DoNER Minister Pawan Singh Ghatowar attended another Convocation function of Manipur University some years back.

That the Chief Minister was treated like any other invitees reduced his status to a persona non grata and this we are not ready to digest.

The damage has been done. In making the Chief Minister seat along with the other invitees, the MU authority or whoever was in charge of the seating arrangement, has belittled the office of the Chief Minister and by extension the people.

Totally unacceptable. v Perhaps it was out of sheer respect for the presence of the President, but to the credit of the Chief Minister and his Council of Ministers, they took the matter in the right spirit and did not create a ruckus.

What would have happened if they had walked out of the Convocation ?

An embarassment not only to the President but also to the whole teaching, non-teaching staff as well as the student community of the highest seat of learning in the State.

It is a scary thought indeed, if one takes into consideration the fact that the same set of people who are manning the administrative affairs of the University cannot even manage to come up with a proper and dignified seating arrangement for the invitees.

The President did grace the 14th Convocation of Manipur University and former Chief Minister and the oldest man to be in Parliament Rishang Keishing and well known musicologist Laishram Birendrakumar were conferred the honorary degree (Honoria Causia) making the event all that more significant.

But was this enough ?

The manner in which the chair of the Chief Minister was treated in such a shabby manner continues to leave a sour taste in our mouth. Period.