Cry Manipur !
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: 30th April, 2008 -

No one can dispute the fact that Manipur is being torn apart by many who take up the garb of doing something good for the land and this include the self seeking political leaders, the babus who advise the political class, the law enforcing agencies which are there to uphold the rule of law as well as the myriad non-State actors, particularly those without any clear cut ideologies or aspirations.

Caught in between the turf war between these pretenders are the general public.

In fact situation has come to such a pass that the public no longer trust the law enforcing agencies, particularly the State Police Department while on the other hand the protest against the imposition of monetary demands by different armed groups have been rising with each passing day.

The resignation of at least 150 members of local bodies like Municipalities and Nagar Panchayats as well as the sit-in-protest held all over, with the recent example being the protest held at Sekmai, are classic examples of the fate of the common people.

Councillors coming to the CM's residence to submit their resignation papers being stopped on April 29 2008

On the other hand, allegations of fake encounters as well as killing innocent people against the crack team of Police Commandos have also been on the rise.

The question is who can the people trust ?

While a number of armed groups have been accused of throwing their weight around and bleeding the people with their 'unreasonable' monetary demands, the law enforcing agencies too are viewed with suspicion, something of an entity the public would like to keep a good distance from.

In fact the present state is such that the very set of people who have been shouting hoarse about the welfare of the public are today viewed as nothing more than impostors, who have taken up the 'cause' of the land to further their own agenda.

Perhaps the time has come for a change, a sort of a bloodless revolution or else Manipur will continue to sink into the abyss of filth and dirt to ultimately reach the point of no return.

Who are the ones calling the shots in Manipur ? No one knows.

Where are we headed towards is a question that has remained just that, a question with no one seriously trying to find an answer.

Who frames the policies of the State ? Again no one knows, for we have a Government which only reacts after an incident or two.

In such a scenario, where no one knows who should be running the affairs of the State, accountability and responsibility take the back seat.

The result is all round chaos and confusion but who cares ?
Who really cares for the common people who have to bear the brunt of both the security personnel as well as the non-State actors ?
Who really cares about the threats and diktats imposed on the media by some 'self appointed sons of the soil' ?
In fact who really cares for the land called Manipur ?

Certainly not those who have emerged under the high sounding slogan of working for the people and this includes all, the Government, its agencies as well as the dubious non-State actors.

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