Lauding the stand of DESAM : PIL against bandhs
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: July 25 2016 -
The stand of the Democratic Students
Alliance of Manipur (DESAM) needs to be
lauded. Yet at the same time it is also
worrying to note that a student organisa-
tion has deemed it fit to announce that
they will soon be filing a Public Interest
Litigation (PIL) against bandhs. There is
however a caveat here for the student
body said that the PIL will be against
bandhs called merely in personal interest.
A damning reflection of the reality that
sundry organisations have sprung up all
over the place and are more than ready
to impose a bandh or two to highlight their
own personal cause.
This is unacceptable
and hence the need to applaud the stand
adopted by DESAM. Equally worrying too
is the overwhelming fear psychosis, that a
bandh called by anyone is today more
than enough to keep people indoors and
July 24 was an apt example.
The All
Manipur Written Test Successful Candi-
dates of Manipur Police (Male), 2013 may
have genuine grievances against the Gov-
ernment but their decision to impose a
State wide bandh on July 24 would not
have gone down well with the people at
all.
As stated numerous times in this col-
umn, the shut down affected the daily
wage earners the most and not those who
sit in the corridors of power.
Why cant this bare fact register in the minds of
those who are forever willing to impose a
bandh or two at the drop of the hat ?
Difficult to calculate the losses incurred
by the State every year due to bandhs,
but significantly a young man has already
worked out the losses incurred due to
bandhs and blockades but it is obvious
that the findings have had little impact on
the minds of quite a large number of peo-
ple.
Again difficult to say when such a
culture began to take firm roots in the
State, but it has been like this for years
and one reason why Manipur continues to
lag behind in the race to development is
obviously due to the frequent bandhs and
blockades.
In imposing a bandh, those
behind it are also toying with the future
of the young students.
This is unacceptable in an age when everything is about
competition and only the best march for-
ward in life.
The bandh culture also
reflects the very selfish mindset of certain
groups of people. Do anything to highlight
their own personal agenda and do not give
a thought to the plight of others.
It is this
mindset which is sickening. DESAM has
taken the lead in openly coming out
against the culture of frequent bandhs
and here is hoping that the other student
organisations too extend their support.
Bandhs benefit no one, except the hoarders and unscrupulous traders who are
ready to make a killing out of a shut down.
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