Loose Memoirs of a Drunkard
- Part 6 -
14 Martyrs and Where do We Stand Today?
By Homen Thangjam *
14 Martyrs and Where do We Stand Today?
Certain inevitable have emerged. While people stood/stands united, the leadership is divided.
Today we have two organizations claiming the success for the mobilization of the people against the Bangkok Declaration of June 2001 without having a clear perspective as on what is to be done in the years to come.
UCM, a post June 18, 2001 entity, observes the fateful day as the 'Great June Uprising Day' and AMUCO, which came into existence along with the cause for peace and unity on account of communal clashes in Manipur, calls it the 'Unity Day'.
Civil society organisations, which do not want to be associated with either of the two, commemorates the day in their own way.
At a larger political landscape, the episode of June 18, 2001 have entrenched division between the hills and the valley.
In its own respective terms, unification has been forged. While the valley based people were united at the level of the civil society against the disintegration of Manipur's territorial boundary, the Nagas in the four Naga dominated hill districts of Manipur were united by the NSCN-IM for a successful peace process and the creation of Nagalim.
This means that the spirit of June 18 will refuse to die as long as either camp gives up respective political agendas.
One has to appreciate statesmanship of the NSCN-IM, which has successfully translated its vision into popular interest of the Nagas in Manipur and involve the Naga civil society in the form of United Naga Council and other student bodies for further mobilization of the people.
Over and above, successive Naga politicians have been 'influenced' to give in writing their commitment for a Greater Nagalim.
At least, this camp has a clear vision (all Naga inhabited areas under one administrative unit) and set of possible 'actions' (economic blockade of the highways) to voice their demand.
The argument that the initial call came from an armed outfit and later on passed the baton to the civil society, and thus policy maker should negate the demand will not stand the test of time. After a while, NSCN-IM will hide behind the façade of the Naga civil society and term the demand as the popular voice of the people.
On the other hand, in the case of the valley, a protest movement which originated at the level of the civil society is likely to lose on account of a divided leadership and lack of future course of action.
One should not be left with the empty feeling that villages gained few new club buildings as a result of the protest movement and at the cost of 14 martyrs.
Cannot the people of Manipur give up its reactionary responses but be proactive? This is where we need leadership with a vision, and take along the people in its political actions.
Concluded ...
* Homen Thangjam, based in Delhi working in a consultancy firm, contributes regularly to e-pao.net . The writer can be reached at homenth(at)gmail(dot)com . This article was webcasted on September 22, 2008.
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