TODAY -

Macabre. Ghoulish. Gruesome. Ghastly : Menacing face of the clash
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: July 04, 2023 -



Macabre. Ghoulish. Gruesome. Ghastly.

These are some words which have become synonymous with Manipur, ever since madness enveloped everyone across the ethnic divide from the evening of May 3 and there is as yet no indication that things will take a turn for the better anyday soon.

Today it is more than clear that the lunacy has gone one or two notches above and people are no longer satisfied with just killing each other, but will also give a more sinister design to the mad hatred by mutilating the body and displaying the dismembered part as some sort of a war trophy.

This war is not between two sworn enemies, not a war dictated by a race towards global supremacy, or a war compelled by trade interests, but a war for which none of those on the ‘battlefront’ will be able to spell out.

Yet the killing goes on and this is where it becomes easy for the one eyed donkey to lead the herd of blind asses, to refer to an earlier allegory which was spelt out in this column.

And this is where again the one eyed donkey can take different avatars, all to suit its own agenda, and will seek to play with words to benumb the already dumb and blind asses.

It was during the May 29 to June 1 visit that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had assured that strict action would be taken up against anyone found violating the ground rules of the Suspension of Operation pact, and fast forward to July 2 and comes the news that the United People’s Front (UPF) and the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) had decided to lift the highway blockade at Kangpokpi, respecting the earlier appeal of the Union Home Minister.

“We will ensure that our volunteers are withdrawn from these areas to help restore peace and tranquillity,” said the UPF and KNO in a statement issued to the media on July 2 and a reading between the lines can be educating, to use a mild and a more positive term.

Volunteers, this is a term which has been used left, right and centre by the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU), the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) and other Kuki organisations and it is this very term, which the UPF and KNO have used confidently.

True, it is the English language and no one has a monopoly over any word or words but that this should be used in the context of the ongoing ethnic clash is significant.

Take two and two together and it becomes clear that it is the volunteers of the two SoO outfits which have been imposing the highway blockade and stretch this a little bit and one may well ask if they are used or utilised for any other purpose.

This question should be viewed and understood in the backdrop of the growing accusation that SoO cadres are involved in the bloody clash which has already claimed numerous lives.

One wonders whether New Delhi will read the revocation of the highway blockade between the lines or will just be satisfied with the line that the SoO outfits have decided to heed the appeal of the Union Home Minister.

A toss of the coin it will be between ‘volunteers’ and ‘cadres’ and here is a case of the SoO outfits giving a new definition to the understanding of staying put inside the designated camps.

As Union Home Minister Amit Shah said, it will take time for normalcy to return and normalcy could mean so many things to different people.

To the Government and the law enforcing agencies, it will definitely mean the guns going silent and bringing to an end the clashes and the confrontations.

To the common people normalcy will mean the ability to move around freely but the question of greater import is, will the ill feelings, the suspicion and the inert hatred against each other be ever exorcised ?

Will the Kuki women who used to hawk their vegetables at Imphal ever feel free to walk the leiraks and leikais of Imphal ?

Is the Imphal of today the same as it was on May 2, 2023 ?

The answer lies with the people.



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