Luckily or unluckily I am not in the sana leibak presently. I missed very much the headlines of the daily newspapers of the state,
even though I feel there will be nothing except the
toll of young life's claimed by the bullets.
Whether the bullets might be from known sources or somewhere else. But I thank to the world of Technology, Internet and due regards to the websites. I regularly visit to the website of e-pao.net and other manipur based news sites, they offer me the same test of
a newspaper.
Now-a-days it seems that bullets are so cheap and everywhere. People bother least about the kind of bullets but the consequences
are same...cries of destitute mothers, sisters, brothers and their relatives of the departed souls.
Very few care and think about of it that why and how such incidents become headlines of the day. Before the bed tea ( even though
there is no such culture) if one do not find at least news of three or more youths lying in the post-mortem house or in the banks
of the river the taste of the tea seem incomplete (someone must feel it, I am sure, guess who are they?)
One should agree that the newspapers (particularly for a regional specific) are the image of the yesterdays in the area or society.
It is obvious then that what we are seeing in the papers are images of our past.
Is is the dream society of the people or is it the goal of the so called leaders or organizations who claim themselves to be
everything. I am sure some people might be happy to see all these and some (those brave heart) will reply it is a must in a state
like Manipur, it happened in the history of so and so.
And behind it hundreds of people are crying and running pillar to pillar to find the reason and justice for the victims of
the bullets. The questions !! Finally are we remembering history to repeat it or to learn from the mistakes.
Again another face ;- It wont be an exagaration to say that the newspapers in the region are becoming like a inhouse megazine
(or force to do so) of various organizations or groups or even a person (if he hold a gun in his hand) to propagate propaganda
which are granted fee to them.
In many incidents we have heard about "gifts of grenade". The self-style heroes (claim themselves) dictates even line by line what are
to be published ... it you fail to do so, then dozens of bullets on the desk of the editor is unavoidable.
They sometimes give the headlines, decide the position and priority of the news, really a big relief to the newpapers houses
(because for big newspapers special editors are recruited to decide the headlines ). "X should surrender to "Y" and on the very next
editon again "Y" should surrender to "X".
I think I am not much exaggerating. This is what I observed and heard about the Daily papers of Manipur in recent days.
Journalists were being targetted personally and charged for many reasons, luckily those who survives the attacks
(may be by security forces or UGs) defend and challenge the charges, finally prove himself innocent.
Lastly, one thing I feel deeply hurt is the "items" ( sorry ..a news terms ) the cry and demands for justification
(not for justice) of the many mothers whose sons and daughters were killed by known bullets (remember every single bullets of
the Securiy Forces are bought by the public money) and unknown bullets.
Why our sons, daughters are killed? The next day one has to satisfy with the word "Encounter or retaliation or for unkown sources
of bullets the reply is "desserter or betaryer" so and so.
Hey ...dont think the cries of the destitute ones are merely the pain of losing their dear ones, it is also the voice of resistance
to the discrimination and exploitation and against the gun culture.
The foolish bullets (oh bullets will not understand me) the bull**** users of bullets donot take the peaceful non-violent voices
as granted to you as an excuse for your inhuman crimes. One day the cries of the mothers will blast like a bomb and few can survive it.
(Oh I was in emotion for a moment).
What I was telling about are only the images fall in my mind and heart when I look the newspapers including different sites
of Manipur.
And a final sentance that strike in mind repeatedly is "Clicking trigger! Is bullet final for all ...????
* Huidrom Athouba Meetei, working in a Hindi TV News Channel based in Delhi, contributes regularly to e-pao.net.
The writer can be contacted at huidath123(at)yahoo(dot)com .
This article was webcasted on 06th November 2007.
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