Media and Contemporary Manipuri Society
- Part 3 -

Rajendra Kshetri *

*** Delivered on RK Sanatomba Memorial Lecture (June 30, 2015)

"A good newspaper, I suppose, is a nation talking to itself
—Arthur Miller.

Forget about the state's own generation and purchase from other sources (which may be deemed as negligible given the fact that Manipur depends 99% on CSGS); the CSGS allocated share of Manipur, i.e. 132 MW, if it is utilized/ made use of sincerely and efficiently, alone should be sufficient enough to give regular uninterrupted power supply of 10-15 hours a day to the consumers as against the existing 4-5 hours a day (that too regularly irregular).

Something somewhere is terribly wrong. Rather, someone somewhere or somebody elsewhere is playing a cruel joke at people's expense. If it is not unscrupulous, shameless and irresponsible (mis) management of power, what is? The power scenario in Manipur is a classic case of MISMANAGEMENT.

The second is the issue of potable drinking water. Water, to use an often-used cliche, is the elixir of life. The quality of life in any given society depends on the availability and the quality of drinking water. However, every year, Manipur faces acute shortage of potable water. The scarcity of drinking water is a perennial problem confronting the people of Manipur. This is very surprising if we consider the fact that the state is richly endowed with lakes and rivers and sufficient amount of rainfall.

Even those drinking water made available in few pockets of Imphal city, not to speak of greater Imphal and rural areas where getting tap water is a distant dream, is not properly treated. It lacks quality. Unfortunately, we do not have the habit of asking simple basic questions: Who is responsible? Who are to be blamed? Who are to be made accountable? This is all the more surprising given the fact that Manipur is known for the existence of vibrant mass movements, civil societies and human rights groups.

We have Meira Paibi movement, movement against AFSPA, human rights movements and others but till date we have not heard of, come across any movement, mass movement for drinking water and regular uninterrupted supply of power. How come ? How do we explain ? There could be several reasons, I am sure, but, to me, it is because we do not address basic issues and questions. We have a tendency of overlooking/bypassing what is fundamental to our existence and survival.

Had Sir Isaac Newton not asked the simple plain question (ridiculed as the most stupid question that time) as to why the 'apple' is falling and not going up, Albert Einstein would not have been able to produce his "Theory of Relativity"; Neil Armstrong would not have been the first man to land on the surface of moon.

The third issue that I would like to place before you pertains to the (mis) management, (mis) utilization and (mis) appropriation of Local Area Development Scheme (LADS) by the people's representatives -MLAs/MPs. People's representatives are elected by the people to serve people and their constituencies. In order to facilitate and expedite developmental works, funds are provided to the representatives (Rs 5 crores for MP per year; 2 crores for MLA per year).

How this fund has been/is utilized/managed/used in what way, when and how should be the subject of investigation. Whether money marked for development projects were diverted, rules and regulations were flouted or bypassed should be matter of great concern. Whether funds were actually spent for the purpose for which it was sanctioned should be fertile grounds for investigative journalism. Whether there was widespread occurrence of 'storming', i.e. expenditure spree in the final years of the five-year plans period.

Are all the details of the contract and payments along with monthly progress reports of the developmental schemes made available on the websites of the MLAs/MPs? Or rather should we be asking as to whether MLAs/MPs of Manipur have their own websites? (mandatory for every MLAs/MPs). The official records maintained for the implementations of LADF would present, as it always does, a rosy picture of proper utilization by the representatives.

But the ground reality is different. Even a casual random visit, let alone any investigative study, to any of the constituencies would give you the stark naked reality as opposed to the official picture. Had the funds been implemented /utilized properly, efficiently with transparency and accountability for the purpose for which it was meant, Manipur would have solved half of her problems.

A Little Observation

My more than passing references to the forgoing issues/problems leads me to share with you a little observation that I have. Not much time and space are devoted to developmental related matters or socio-economic problems. Generally, the media spend a great deal of time and space for entertainment, gossip, political news/controversies, leader's comments, party squabbles, sports and games, films and other trivia.

Entertainment is certainly needed in our contemporary life but it must be balanced with serious and sustained attention on the real priorities which vex the majority of the people. For instance, media can and should take up issues pertaining to non supply/irregularity of power supply, non­availability/ quality of potable water to the common man, dust-ridden/muddy streets, lane and by-lanes of the city.

What usually happens is that by covering all non-essential and entertainment or personal related issues, an impression is created that Manipur has solved all her vexing problems of existence.

Everybody wants to be Leader: A Personal Impression

As I come to the terminal point of my lecture, please allow me to share with you a personal impression that I have gathered over a period of more than four decades of reading newspapers in Manipur. I have been a regular reader of newspaper right from my childhood days. From Prajatantra to Khollao to Huiyen Lanpao and Manipur News to Manipur Mail to Imphal Reporter in the seventies and eighties to Poknapham to Imphal Free Press to Sangai Express (both Manipuri and English), Naharolgi Thoudang, to name a few, in the nineties to the present day, I kept myself familiar with the content, style, format and layout of these papers.

Of the many impressions that I have gathered from the news reporting and that has left an indelible mark on me, as it still does is that 7 in 10 people in Manipur wanted to be leaders. Leaders of one kind or the other – leaders of one group or the other. I would term this as an affliction among the people that is detrimental to the overall development of the state.

It is against the backdrop of this affliction that I am always reminded of what Albert Camus once said. And I shall only be too happy to share with you what he said. "Don't walk behind me; I may not lead; Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow; Just walk beside me and be my friend."

Thank you. Thank you all for so patiently bearing with me and listening to my lecture. And Dr R.K Nimai, Chairperson and other members of the R.K Sanatomba Memorial Trust, I can't thank you enough for having given me the privilege of delivering this memorial lecture.

Concluded...