Surviving conflicting stands : Not seeing eye to eye
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: October 26 2016 -
More than different opinions. More than contrasting stands.
It comes much closer to conflicting stands and this is what is worrying.
So it stands that the demand that a mechanism be put in place to regulate the inflow of non-local people into the soil of Manipur has met with different stands that border more on conflicting stands and this is best exemplified by the fact that the mortal remains of the nine people killed at Churachandpur in the protest after the three Bills were passed by the State Assembly on August 31 last year are still lying in state.
So deeply are the people divided over this issue that a call for different administrations for the hills and valley have been sounded and there is no indication that the stands on either side of the Bills divide will soften in the days to come.
On the contrary those demanding that a mechanism be put in place to check the inflow of non-local people have been piling the pressure on the Government and those opposed to such a move have also been making their stand loud and clear.
This is about the indigenous people of the land and an issue which should have united the people has driven them so far apart and this should say something profound about the social ties between different communities in Manipur.
This is about the demand for an ILP or a mechanism to regulate the inflow of non-local people into the State and the difference on this issue has again manifested itself in the opposition raised by some hill based organisations to the demand that the Meeteis/Meiteis be included in the Scheduled Tribe list of the Constitution of India.
Important to note too that it is not only some hill based organisations which have opposed the ST demand for the Meeteis/Meiteis but also some organisations based in the valley.
A clear case of the people refusing to see eye to eye and this is nothign short of the people adopting conflicting stands.
Apart from the ILP and ST demand, one just has to look at the reservation row at Manipur University to understand how far apart the people are today.
All Tribal Students’ Union, Manipur (ATSUM), All Naga Students’ Association, Manipur, (ANSAM), Kuki Students’ Organisation (KSO), Manipur University Tribal Students’ Union (MUTSU) backed by Democratic Students’ Association, Manipur (DESAM) to the hilt and locking horns with Joint Students’ Coordinating Committee (AMSU, MSF, KSA and SUK) and herein emerges another example of conflicting stands.
More than obvious that what can go wrong has gone wrong here and the numerous issues besieging the State can be addressed only when the people learn to be more accommodating, more honest and more ready to look at issues from the perspective of the others.
Clear that the people have been surviving the man created situation in Manipur and it is time to see how a situation can be created that people move from merely surviving but thriving on the situation.
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