O! Mr Ibobi, Show us the way before you are shown the way!!!

By :- Nandini Thockchom *

No one knows what its like to resign the American Presidentship. I brought myself down. I gave them a sword and they stuck it in and twisted it with a rage. I let them down. (movie)

I let down my friends, I let down the country, I let down our system of government and the dreams of all those young people that ought to get into government but will think it is all too corrupt and the rest. Most of all I let down an opportunity I would have had for two and a half more years to proceed on great projects and programmes for building a lasting peace. ……… Yep, I let the American people down. And I have to carry that burden with me for the rest of my life. My political life is over. I will never yet, and never again, have an opportunity to serve in any official position. Maybe I can give a little advice from time to time. And so I can only say that in answer to your question that while technically I did not commit a crime, an impeachable offence - these are legalisms. As far as the handling of this matter is concerned, it was so botched up, I made so many bad judgments. The worst ones mistakes of the heart rather than mistakes of the head, as I pointed out, but let me say a man in that top judge job, he's got to have a heart, but his head must always rule his heart. (original interview)

From the original interview of David Frost and Richard Nixon after the Watergate Scandal telecast in May, 1977 and the movie Frost/Nixon based on the interview.

Historic times in the lives of the people of Manipur. Historic days comes in galore in a small state like Manipur where there is an ongoing struggle for the right to self determination by its people at various levels. Sometimes it just occurs and sometimes it recurs. It recurs because it was not meant to happen. It was not meant to happen because things are not supposed to occur beyond the reasonable limit of control. Things are not supposed to occur beyond reasonable limit of control because there are mechanisms that are at work to control and protect. These mechanisms in a democratic nation state are formally defined by the legislators, executed by its functionaries and safeguarded by the judiciary, the tripod of life in democracy. Interdependence, spell "not independent". When spelt wrong by an erring being, it simply spells doom. And, when that doomsday is inevitably caused by a mere lack of knowledge, it becomes yet another historic day for us. Whether that day is for celebration, or introspection, it depends on the individual.

The solar eclipse was sighted in Manipur partially amidst clouds on the 22nd July. This natural and heavenly phenomena was eclipsed partially by a "normal" event, the day after, in the wake of an encounter which aah… killed some and umm...injured some. Okay – somebody performed their duty and some came in the line of fire. Understandable, considering the urgency and necessity of the action and the place of occurrence. 1st August was the culmination of a grand showcase of dance, music and clothes designed, modelled by our talented transgender community of Manipur. This natural and heavenly event was eclipsed totally by a "normal" reportage by Tehelka of the Operation Westend fame, the day after again. Manipur becomes the place- to- be- in to witness this unnatural total eclipse. The government was slapped by the Tehelka photos, taken by a local photographer, who surrendered his road to fame, in sheer fear of our democratic government whose formost duty, excuse me, is to protect its citizens.

Shutters came down, life took a beating from the streets and out rolled the anti-riot gears. O no, another one!!! Wonder how long it will last?? But this one must be the last straw! Its ominous to kill an unborn child with its mother!! Its do or die! More importantly, it is "us or them". The TINA(there is no alternative) factor resides with both. One can always clarify later. One can learn and unlearn at the same time. If not, Mr PK Singh would have clarified before 2nd August about TINA and Mr DGP would have ‘briefed’ the CM before 1st August too, about the facts to ‘clarify’ if the need ever arises. 9 days between 23 July and 1st August amidst protests would have shook any sane being into further investigations. Or was it meant like all the other killings that Tehelka didn’t tag? And the Magisterial-soon-turn-to-Judicial Enquiry need not come so late. The fact that the eclipse is casting such a long shadow for such a long period of time needs some clarification. Indeed!

Us, Us, Us and Them, Them, Them, Pink Floyd floored us with their lyrics, so appropriate in various stages of our lives and situations. I thought I heard the thunder clapping but it was Hitler shouting, it is us or them, wrote a poet. I thought I heard the people’s representatives shocked but it was our CM reiterating lets see who rules, us or them. It will be indeed cliché to say that ‘………and absolute power corrupts absolutely’. Important lessons of life. But, now lessons for the new gen. begins with A for AFSPA, AK 47; b- for bomb, bandh, blast(take your Pick); c for commandoes, curfew, combined force, combing operation; d for dharna; e for Economic Blockade, Effigy; f for fake encounter, frisking; g for gun(very easy),grenade, general strike; h for hunger strike; I for IRB, ISTV; j for JAC; k for killings, kangsi; l for lup ; m for mock bomb, meira paibi; n for NSA, Nine mm ;o for O Ibobi; p for pistol ; q for quota; r for rally, rubber bullet; s for sanjit; t for tehelka, tear-gas; u for UGs; v for VDF, VIP; w for wakat meepham; x for … ; y for … ; z for ….

Shutters went up and down, clocked life breezed to and fro the streets, effigies still got burnt, childrens’ marbles disappears with the catapults, mock bombs becomes a mockery and tear gas do not tear down mobs anymore. People discussed the upside and downside of the silencing. People have started singing without any tune, dancing without rhythm. Somewhere, something is going wrong, so wrong. One fears that it might manifest in the mobilization, methodology and even the motives of the demands made by Us. One need not mention the same from the other side also. One cat has been spotted but no one yet to bell it. But is there only one cat to bell? My anxiety is because of this prolonged eclipse which normally needs only two singular bodies (heavenly or not). And if it is Us or them, and if we are clear about ‘us’, who is ‘them’?

June 2001, July 2004 has taught the government a few tricks to handle August 2009, not to forget many in between. So far, so good. They seem to have learned, we haven’t learn. We elected them again with pomp and splendour, giving ourselves another historic event of a longest serving CM. Did we? Did we really? Do we need a government who knows the ‘rate’ of our pulse so well? God forbid another election on public money. Are we ready for the change before we change ourselves? Are we responsible and accountable for that exercise of the precious individual right to vote and the ones that we allowed to cast minus the person? Will a court martial suffice? Will an audit of all the killings ease away the pain of o! so many. What seemingly is the way out of this impasse? I, for one, have missed the lectures on the way out of absolute democracy. Or is there really a way?