Pot calling Kettle black
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: August 02 , 2013 -

Although various 'vocal' social organizations and political parties in Manipur have now woken up to the fact of losing a large portion of the territory of the State to Myanmar on account of the 'faulty' border fencing going on along the Indo-Myanmar International boundary, there is something very annoying in the manner of the opposition parties going hammer and tong against the ruling Congress Government over the issue.

A day after the media report on the spot visit to the affected border villages came out, Manipur People's Party (MPP) was quick enough to shoot a memorandum to Prime Minister of India Dr Manmohan Singh apprising him about the news report and seeking intervention to stop the 'defective and flawed process of border fencing' being taken up by the Department of Border Management, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India until it is rectified.

MPP even dispatched a team to inspect the border fencing work. Close behind the heels of MPP, State units of Trinamool Congress and Janata Dal (United) entered the scene to fire salvos against the ruling Congress Government for the latter's failure to safeguard the territory of the State and demanded immediate suspensions of the ongoing border fencing work.

BJP and CPI too have not been far behind when it comes to making use of the golden opportunity to launch attacks on the Congress with the media report of losing of State's land to Myanmar coming in a platter right into their lap.

All these frenzy activities of the opposition parties may give the impression of an alerted watchdog of democratic institution in the State, but just a scratch on the surface reveals how they too have been woefully falling short in performing their duties even more miserably than the pathetic ruling party.

Just imagine what the opposition parties might be doing now if the media report on the loss of a large portion of the land of Manipur into the hands of Myanmar from the ongoing faulty border fencing had not come about. Would they been as vocal as they are today on the border issue? Certainly, not.

Perhaps, they all might be still living under the impression that everything is all right at the frontier with complete oblivion of the fact that border fencing has been going on for the last many years.

On the other hand, it is very obvious that even the ruling Congress, though it has the habit of reiterating its commitment towards protection of territorial integrity of Manipur at every possible public platform, has been caught off guard completely about the happenings in the border area this time.

That was the precise reason, why a State Cabinet meeting had to be called hurriedly to discuss the issue and Chief Minister O Ibobi had to write as well as call on the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister to press for resurveying the border.

Lose of State's land as big as the size of Bishnupur district to Myanmar from the negligence of both the ruling and the opposition parties would be unpardonable.

If the ruling had failed, the opposition is equally to be blamed. So, it should be no time for the pot to call the kettle black or indulge in the usual political bickering.

It is the time to come together for solving the problem at hand.

But, for god's sake, please stop acting only after media report.