Of domestic cylinders and indifference : Unpalatable chalta hai attitude
- Sangai Express Editorial :: November 30 , 2013 -

Tumdaba Mee Houdokpa Lui. Literally this comes close to 'It is difficult to wake up a person pretending to be sleeping.'

This should about sum up the total disregard of the Government to the news report that domestic LPG cylinders are being used on a large scale in the food stalls put up at the ongoing State Sangai festival.

For three consecutive days, the English edition of The Sangai Express carried the news of how majority of the food stalls opened at the State Sangai festival use domestic LPG cylinders, with the first report being the lead news in both the English and Manipuri editions on September 27.

That the report did nothing to jolt the senses of the Government officials or Departments concerned came to the fore as domestic LPG cylinders continued to be used, constraining the English edition of this paper to carry the news for the next two days.

At the last count, on apprising the matter personally to the Chief Secretary, we were given the assurance that the matter has been referred to the Consumers Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Department to take up necessary action.

This was on November 29, the second last day of the ten day festival. Domestic cylinders, which are bought at highly subsidised rates, being used for commercial purposes is not an aberration in Manipur.

A look or an inspection at any of the eating joints or hotels would reveal that majority of them do not use the commercial LPG cylinders which come at a higher price.

Nothing new. There is however a difference when it comes to a State level festival.

Showcasing Manipur to the outside world. This is what the State Sangai festival is supposed to be.

That tourists did not flock the festival venue is another matter, but surely a Government which remains indifferent to its own rules and regulations would not be exactly sending out the right message.

The chalta hai attitude is difficult to digest.

That this point blew over the heads of the babudom is not surprising for this is the real character of Manipur.

This is where the exercise of rolling out the red carpet or rolling out the freshly black topped roads for some of the foreign dignitaries come close to a farce, a farce that is not lost on the keen observers and thankfully there are many such keen observers, though some of them have been dubbed as the sceptic lot.

Last year it was about the sale of wild animal meat at some stalls such as venison and the meat of wild boar.

In 2011 it was the tragic bomb blast which claimed the life of a man. This time it is domestic LPG cylinders being used for commercial purposes. There could be more but this is besides the point.

What is of importance is the seriousness with which the Government has gone ahead with arranging the single, largest State level festival in the State and herein lies a tale. Security arrangement.

Sure the State Police Department must have been stretched to its limit and with a public not exactly well known for abiding with the laid down instructions, their job must be all that more exhausting but organising a festival is not only about security.

This is what should be kept in mind. It is not all bricks though. It was heartening to see the police act swiftly and round up two shop lifters from inside the festival venue.

Equally encouraging too was the manner in which Food Safety officials of the Health Department got their act together and confiscated sub-standard edibles and water from some of the stalls including tobacco products which have been banned in the State.

Chief Ministers from Sangaing and Mandalay provinces of Myanmar, cultural troupes from Myanmar with a day set aside as Myanmar day, troupes from Sikkim and Thailand.

Sure, the Sangai festival has progressed from its earlier days, but with each progressive step it takes, correspondingly it seems to take two steps backwards.

The rampant use of domestic LPG cylinders in the food stalls was bad enough.

But worse was the total indifference to the matter by the Government officials and Departments concerned.

A festival cannot be a free for all road side jamboree.