[ Sat, 3 Feb 2007 16:11:28 -0500 ]

Dear Meetei Macha,

I must congratulate you for writing such a wonderful topic as a basis for discussion.

I know 90% of my friends who spent huge money of their parents and studied in out side Manipur went back to Manipur where they remain either unemployed or under-employed. And they blame the state for not providing 'JOB'. Then, they survive on the pesion money of their parents. What a pity. Little did they know they have to blame themselves for their own fate! Keralite Nurses are the best example in India today.

We are good at day dreaming and eating lotus. And we are also very good at pseudo-idealism. The entire problems both at hills and velley, be it of anything, is the product of pseudo-idealism propagated by some group of pesudo intellectuals. We talk about human rights violation; but we are the first person who violates it. Under which charter of UN conventions does it mention that DEATH PENALTY should be encouraged? But we kill each other for small matters like, 'he doesn't agree with me.' simply put.

If it is corruption we would like to root out, then we need to change the system, not by killing people randomly. We burn libraries and be very proud of it, it is a sheer human human rights violations too! Whatever is the reason it might be for, it was an unjustified act of shame.

UN is under way to develope a mechanism to recognise the crimes in violations of fundamental human rights carried out by such non state actors. These are then will become illegal internationally too. We restrict our own freedom of expression and freedom to enjoy our own life. 'Right to Life' is the basis for Universal Declaration on Human rights. Are we truely observing that????? I know for sure state (Govt. of India) does violates our humanrights to the core. We the people in Manipur are the victims of human rights violations from both the sides, state actors as well as non state actors. I would say, please leave us alone!

We don't trust each other, be it at hills or velley. The very famous example,we have hundred thousands clubs, meirapaibis,lups , ngos, etc etc without any proper objectives. Many groups are under different patronage of different political parties. Every small community has their own more than 2/3 groups/clubs etc. I won't be surprised tomorow even the 'surnames' will have 2/3 all manipur/or anything organisation of them. For example, all manipur ningombam youth organisation (AMNYO). Do we really require this? We only need few respectable substantive organisations that represents the masses. Any Tom, Dick and Harry,(Hongba Chaoba) should think twice before setting up any organisation. For every disagreement we have , as a result we don't need to set up a different organisation. Because the result of having hundreds of organisation does more harm than good. Bans, lockouts, strikes , black day/blue day etc etc...which are at the cost of the public. One day strike at any town could cost lakhs of ruppees in business and basic survival of ima and iben. Do we really keep that in our mind before we thought of doing this act?

The problem is our attitude. As we don't trust among ourselves, we also trust outsiders. There is a convention in formulation for emmigrant labour rights in UN. But we hate competition so we hate 'Mayang working' in our land.It is a world of learn and compete. We should learn from Mayang and compete at right spirit. We don't need to kill them, threaten them to leave our place. In a way they also contribute in many ways economically. We fail to appreciate that side, and only concentrate on the other side. Irrespective of who is who/what, if sombody becomes rich by their labour, we must praise his or her effort.

Therefore,comming to the title of the topic, 'where are we heading', the answer is, if the present trend continues, we will hit a wall someday. I don't know for good or bad.

I will write my supplementary views someday.

Bishwajit Okram