Nothing is going right for Manipur and the biggest worry is that there is nothing to suggest that things will improve in the coming years.
Extortions continue to haunt the people and the confusion is all that more when separate demands are made by different people on the same business community or association in the name of a same organisation.
Such a situation can happen only in a place like Manipur where anarchy and chaos have become the order of the day.
This is not all.
While the people are exposed to a number of inconveniences, the Government continues to act as if everything is fine and it is this lack of political willingness that we find hard to stomach.
Along with the lethargy of the Government, we have developed certain cultures which have proven to be nothing
but inflicting self injuries and the report that we carried on the Dec 14 issue of this paper under the caption,
"NE States outrace Manipur in eco-growth" should serve as the eye opener to what we have been doing to ourselves all these years.
As the report said, Manipur recorded an economic growth rate of just 5.9 percent in the 11th Five Year Plan period.
This is in sharp contrast to Nagaland which recorded a growth rate of 9.3 pc, 8.5 pc by Sikkim, 7.3 by Meghalaya, 7.1 pc by Mizoram, 6.9 by Tripura, 6.6 pc by Assam and 6.5 pc by Arunachal Pradesh.
We do not have the figures for the previous Plan periods but surely it could not have been worse than this.
Nothing it seems is moving in Manipur and if we at all move, it is always in the wrong direction. A misplaced sense of being wronged, a misplaced sense of being deprived and a misplaced sense of venting our anger have all contributed to the sorry state of affairs.
As the report pointed out so succinctly, the major factor for the slow economic growth is the frequent imposition of bandhs and economic blockades by sundry organisations.
While we can understand the angst of the people against the lethargy of the Government, why has everyone come under the impression that it is within their right to impose a bandh or an economic blockade at the drop of the hat ?
For one this is a clear reflection of the mentality of the people that they can do anything in the name of venting their disappointment against the Government.
On the other hand it is also a reflection of the mental make up of some who have no regards about the rights of other people.
How else will one explain the rationale of burning down a public library or the torching of the two premier colleges in the State, DM College and Imphal College.
However justified the demand may be, however right the grievances may be, we should all remember that our right ends where the right of the next person begins.
In other words, rights should also come with a corresponding responsibility.
It is a shame that while neighbouring States like Nagaland have scored so high in the growth index, Manipur continues to lag behind.
For all its ills and weaknesses let's for a moment not lay all the blame at the door of the Government but take a sincere look inwards.
We have to realise that those with the strongest lung power and vocal voice need not necessarily be always right.
|