Profound observation, Mr PC :: The peculiarity of it all
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: November 04 2011 -

Home Minister P Chidambaram at Senapati on Nov 2 2011 - Pix :: Jimmy Leivon

"So, supplies are available in the valley except that prices are high.... The peculiar feature of this blockade is although the valley, specially Imphal is affected, there are no protests in Imphal as such." Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on October 31, Delhi, when the economic blockade imposed by the Sadar Hills Districthood Demand Committee had already crossed the 90 days mark.

This will go down as one of the most profound observations made by a Delhiwallah on the situation in Manipur and fast forward 96 hours or 4 days and the situation has not changed at all, despite the SHDDC suspending its economic blockade on the strength of the MoU signed with the State Government late in the evening of October 31.

This status quo comes courtesy the economic blockade imposed by the United Naga Council and the news story published in the November 3 issue of this paper under the heading "School vans off the road, queues still on," underlined this fact vividly.

It is unclear whether the honourable Home Minister managed to squeeze time out of his busy schedule to go through the story or not but his observation made at Delhi echoed loudly in the story.

School vans forced to go off the road, due to lack of fuel, and yet not a whimper of protest or complaints have come forth from the parents. This in a land infamous for its bandhs and shut downs at the slightest pretext and the irony is clear and loud.

Mr Chidambaram has left with no signs that situation will improve in the immediate future, and if his 'peculiar feature of this blockade' observation of October 31 is any indication then he would not have been lulled into being misled by the State Government that everything is hunky dory in Manipur.

This is what gives us that teeny weeny bit of hope, especially in the face of the 'come and see for yourself' taunt thrown by the Chief Minister while addressing the media at Delhi some time back when quizzed on the situation in the State.

The first organised marathonesque economic blockade that the people of Manipur had to endure was in 2005 when ANSAM imposed its 52 days economic blockade. This was followed by the 64 days economic blockade imposed by the UNC and ANSAM in 2010 and the SHDDC blockade was the third such case, making the ongoing UNC sponsored blockade the fourth such instance in a span of six years.

The 'peculiarity' that P Chidambaram talked about was visible too back in 2005 and 2010 and while the response of the people to these two situations was interpreted as being the hallmarks of a mature and resilient people, the same yardstick may not be applicable today.

In 2005, it may be said that the Government was unprepared for such a long economic blockade. It was the first instance when the demand for a Greater Lim was staged so vocally in the public domain and rightfully it was felt that the duty of the people was then to extend their co-operation to the Government.

It was more or less the same thing in 2010. The factor which has influenced UNC to go ahead and impose its ongoing economic blockade and total bandh has however remained unchanged from 2005 and 2010 but this is no reason why the Government should come under the impression that the people should meekly submit themselves to the same tactics and methods employed six or even one year back.

There is also no reason why the people should continue to submit themselves to the overdone tactics of choking off their lifelines everytime this is resorted to. There is nothing to preen about the peculiar point that Mr Chidambaram was referring to.

If the silence of the people was resilience and art of articulating their thought process in 2005 and 2010, this same silence reflects nothing but an emptiness, a rudderless people in 2011.

The inexplicable silence of the people, their willingness to quietly swallow the daily dose of humiliation is an indication of a people who have lost their vision and have sold their souls to the machination of a few self appointed political rajas in the State.

It is surprising to see that not a single word of protest has been raised against the fact that while people continue to spend hours in a queue to get petrol worth Rs 400/500, the same is available in plenty at the black market at exorbitant rates.

The complete silence, the indifference of the people and the Government to the story of how the quota system of the political class and their henchmen have hijacked the filled LPG cylinders is palpable.

In as much as the story itself was abhorrent, the complete silence of the people was confounding.

Delhi and Imphal will continue to gloss over the 'peculiarity of the situation' here and the greatest tragedy is the fact that this has been 'scripted to an appreciable extent' by the very set of people who are forced to waste four/five hours to get a few litres of petrol or have to shell out Rs 2000 or so for a filled LPG cylinder