Manipur needs to come to her senses : Don’t play to the gallery
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: November 07 2023 -

Manipur needs to come to her senses.

Should say something profound that the first sentence is felt necessary at this point of time, when the days of unrest, violence, senseless killings, disappearance, have crossed more than the 180 days mark.

Take heed. This is not the time to go for a joy ride.

Situation demands that nothing is captured on camera and uploaded on the social media.

This is not the time for bravado and certainly not the time to score a point or two on the social media.

Not the time to flex one’s muscle and throw one’s weight around, all under the false impression that anyone can get away with blue murder.

The whole world is watching and the battle is being fought at several fronts and Manipur certainly does not need some reckless elements whose very course of action can feed the manipulated narrative that has been spun out to play the victim card.

Adversity is the time when the true character of a people will emerge and this is the time for everyone who stand by the idea of Manipur to sincerely look inward and study if they are men and women of character or not.

Just flip back the pages of the past 180 days and more and the recent past should give an idea of where the people as a whole stand on the index of character.

Manipur is once again caught up in yet another case of two young boys missing with the last pictures of the two captured on CCTV cameras going viral on the social media.

No final word has been said on the actual status of the two boys, but it is clear that they are missing and their mobile handsets were found near a fuel pump at Senapati.

Planted may perhaps be the more appropriate term here and not surprisingly the Senapati based Naga People’s Organisation has come out strongly against such a move which could be potentially dangerous and give rise to misunderstanding between the Nagas and the Meiteis.

It is these elements that one should be on guard against.

Not yet clear how the Government would respond to the unfolding scenario, but it is more than clear that Manipur has been passing from one catastrophe to the other since the evening of May 3 and apart from sending in the police force to Moreh, there is nothing much on ground to demonstrate the presence of a Government which is in charge of the situation.

The reality should be kept in mind. The more Manipur shows that law and order has gone out of hand, the more it would favour those who are working overtime to tear the place into pieces.

Everyone, particularly those who have come to the limelight by dint of their activities should not forget that the eyes of the world is on Manipur and utmost care should be taken about what is posted on the social media.

The very fact that a number of concerned individuals have taken it upon themselves to appeal not to post anything on the social media that could boomerang and hurt the interest of Manipur in any way should say something very significant.

Why should there be the need to post such appeals is the question which everyone should be asking themselves now.

It is the thoughtlessness, the penchant to play to the gallery and indulge in crass bravado that could unmake the stand of Manipur and reverse all the positives that have been gained after the killing of a senior police officer at Moreh just a few days back.

Never, ever underestimate the nemesis, is the one fundamental line that should guide the activities of everyone who stand by the idea of Manipur.

Leaving footprints on the social media can never be erased and Manipur certainly cannot afford to upload anything that can invite the re-imposition of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act all over the State.

Good sense is the call of the moment and not acts of bravado that could have severe negative repercussions in the long run.