Drunk on immunity and impunity : Time for reality check
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: December 21, 2012 -

Security force personnel stop the attempt the storm the house over the Dec 18 incident :: Pix - TSE

Definitely drunk. Maybe not on alcohol but drunk on power, thanks to the sweeping sense of immunity and impunity granted by the ceasefire pact.

This should about sum up the factors behind the behaviour of a senior cadre of the NSCN (IM) at Chandel Maha Union Ground in the evening of December 18.

Molested, abused and assaulted were the words that adorned the front pages of all the newspapers published in Imphal on December 20, 2012.

Livingstone Anal has certainly created a niche' for himself in the list of women abusers.

Not surprisingly, condemnations against the incident have come pouring in from different civil society organisations and while these condemnations are perfectly justified, a word of caution may just be what the doctor would prescribe.

Lest the issue gets derailed, let it not be portrayed along ethnic line.

What unfolded at Chandel on December 18 evening should stand condemned cutting across ethnic and community divide.

It is not so much a question of a Meitei woman being molested by a man who belongs to the NSCN (IM) but about a woman being molested and assaulted by a man drunk on the sense of power derived from being a member of an outfit which is in a peace deal with the Government of India.

The NSCN (IM) leadership too need to respond to the situation with understanding and sensitivity.

This is not the time to pass the buck around but to get to the bottom of the matter at hand and deal it with a sense of urgency and importance.

This should also be a significant reminder to all the groups which have been waging a war against the Government that their cadres and men cannot throw their weight around and harass the public.

"Sr NSCN (IM) cadre 'molests' film actress", "Serial blasts rock Imphal, one killed, four hurt in three incidents", "Abductor UGs held with cash and arms", were the screaming headlines on page one of The Sangai Express on December 20, 2012.

A grim reminder on the conduct of some cadres of armed outfits, which have taken up the guns ostensibly on behalf of the people.

While the Chandel incident exposed the hollowness of the ceasefire ground rules inked between the NSCN (IM) and the Government of India, the other two incidents are pointers of the morale decay within some armed groups.

Drunk on power and money making enterprise should explain the three stories.

Time for a reality check.

It is also significant to note that the Chandel incident came even as the NSCN (IM) leadership had started fuming against the summon orders issued on some of their leaders by the National Investigation Agency.

By and large, it has become increasingly clear that to numerous cadres and members of the outfit, the ceasefire pact signed more than 15 years back has come to mean some sort of a license to throw their weight around and bully the public.

The December 18 incident at Chandel would not have happened if it were otherwise so.

As pointed out earlier in this column, the time for introspection and retrospection on the part of the leadership of the NSCN (IM) is long over due.

Take up fitting action against the culprit. This would go a long way in conveying the message that the outfit means business and would not tolerate rank indiscipline among its men.

Arrogance should not be camouflaged under ignorance.