Shun Violence :: Stop all actions that affect people’s lives, rights and interest
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: October 30, 2010 -

During the past two or three decades, people of Manipur have seen a lot of tragic incidents happening in the state. During the past few years, so much violence, too many deaths, too many bomb blasts, too frequent blockades and bandhs, virtually daily sit-in-protest demonstrations and so many other issues bogged down the people of Manipur in their endeavours towards progress.

During the past one or two years, we have seen too much hindrances in the life of the people as a whole. With all that hindrances of various kinds, the overall development of the people barely managed to inch forward, when in fact it should have rushed like the rest of the world did. All these put a spoke in the normal duties of every section of the society.

Students are unable to study properly at schools/colleges and university, teachers can't teach properly, judges and lawyers can't carry on their legal practices properly in the courts, doctors and nurses can't do their duties properly at the hospitals and clinics, engineers/SOs can't perform their duties unhindered, businessmen can't carry on with their business undisturbed, transporters of essential commodities including cooking gas and other petroleum products can't bring in these commodities without any obstacle and above all, even the media can't carry out their duty freely without disturbances, diktats and intimidations.

Who caused all these? Let's be frank. Some of these were caused by one or other group of people of particular community or students who seemingly found the state government being indifferent towards their "rightful demands for justice" on some issues.

Right or no right, inconveniences and disturbances are directly delivered to the general public, making the people, specially the poor class suffer untold hardships. Then some, nay, most were caused by the various armed groups of different hues and flags.

In their over-zealous actions to collect funds for their respective groups, they seemed to have almost forgotten their much propagated cause of working and fighting for the people's welfare, independence and all. They seem to be lacking the thought that some of their actions were making the people disillusioned with their grand ideas of homeland or liberation, as the case may be.

And another equally proportionate contribution to the chain of disturbances and violences happening around is given by the State Police and the Central Para Military Forces who are supposed to be the keepers of rule of law and protectors of life and properties of the citizens. These lawful forces also contribute, more or less, to the prevalence of violence in the state just as the unlawful underground groups do.

Now, let all the concerned–inclusive of all community-based organisations, students' organisations, civil society organisations, armed groups which are in agreement of suspension of operations with the government, other armed UG organisations and the Manipur Police Commandos, the Assam Rifles and other Central forces– start thinking of finding ways to launch the kind of agitations which should not disturb normal life of the general public, and shun violence, not shed blood in all actions.

Let all parties concerned make it a necessary rule to avoid using force that may give rise to violence. Stop all kinds of activities that affect and appear to affect people's lives, rights and interests. Stop killing–whether in real or fake encounters, whether insurgents or suspects. Stop meting out capital punishment to persons by the kangaroo courts on some grounds.

Stop presenting grenade gifts as a prelude to shooting or blasting bombs later for the purpose of extortion. Stop all kinds of violence. Try to deal with situations without killing, without shedding a single drop of blood.

Let all concerned focus on experimenting with peace. Only peace will bring a lasting solution to all problems. Let's not forget, violence begets violence and more violence.

Peace begets peace.