Talk More, Work Less: The Congress mantra
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: July 13 2011 -

"Work More, Talk Less" is a phrase that is popularly or infamously associated with the late Sanjay Gandhi for this phrase became some sort of a slogan for Mrs Gandhi and her men during the 'heady' days of the emergency and while the official position of the All India Congress Committee on the emergency has always been unclear, this phrase particularly says something about the work culture of Indians at that point of time.

This was in the mid 70s and fast forward to the 21st century and shift the focus beyond the Brahmaputra in the east and one will see that the Manipur Congress Committee or rather the Congress led SPF Government has left no stones unturned to turn this phrase on its head and instead of Work being given primacy over empty talks, it is Talk which has become the calling card of the Congress.

So while the faithfuls of Mr Ibobi go to town demonstrating their lung power over the supposedly great achievements attained during the two terms of the Congress led SPF Government, motorists and pedestrians have to wade through slushy and stinking water on the road.

Buying a new car is by itself a nightmare for it is heart breaking to hear the moans and creaks come from the car as it negotiates its way through the bumps and pot holes !

With the Congress in power, the people can take solace in the knowledge that developmental works will proceed, is the memorised and done to death announcement that is heard at any inauguration function or foundation stone laying exercise by Congressmen.

On the other hand, people still have to cope with routine loadshedding and haphazard "power time." The water that comes through the pipes in the localities of Imphal is at best fit for the toilet and here too the advice is to add a good dose of Dettol antiseptic preparation !

If this is the development that the Congresswallahs want the people to digest then it can be safely concluded that they have mastered the art of talking big while doing nothing in reality.

What we see today is a caricature of the phrase that was given the widest possible publicity by the Centre during the Emergency, with even buses and other public carriers carrying the "Work More, Talk Less" message painted across the body in loud paints, wherever the buses went.

As the oldest political party in the country and having been in power for a better part of the period since Manipur attained Statehood in 1972, the Congress need not be told on what is the best and most effective form of campaigning.

This is the universal belief and this observation sits comfortably on the head of the Congress party, but true to its character, even this has been turned upside down by the State Congress unit.

With the next Assembly election scheduled to be held in the early part of next year, the decibel of self patting oneself has only increased, with a fair amount of assistance from the observers sent on a somewhat regular basis by Delhi.

This carefully cultured mannerism definitely has a contagious effect or else how does one explain the manner in which even Government officials coming here on behalf of the Centre pitch in with their high pitch tone on behalf of the Congress led Government in Manipur ?

So while the SPF, read the Congress party, wastes no opportunity to go to town blowing their own bugle, projects like the Tribal Market at New Lambulane gathers dust while tribal women have to cope with the blazing sun, the rain and the cold wind in the open at places like Dingku road, Deulalane, New Lambulane etc.

The icing on the cake is definitely the touch of originality which only the SPF Government can apply and that is the Tribal Market still remains closed though it was inaugurated by none other than Madam Sonia Gandhi in December last year !

If this is not being a loud mouth with nothing substantial to show for achievement then we wonder what would qualify one to be clubbed as a loud mouth !

Land acquisition is one factor that has been cited for the delay in throwing open the Tribal Market to the people, but this is nothing more than a poor joke given the fact that the Government has launched a land acquisition spree despite strong opposition from many quarters.

The land acquisition process at Kabo Leikai is one example.

It is a sad commentary on the party of Gandhi, Nehru, Tilak and others that the State unit of the Congress need to be educated on the point that the best form of campaigning is to let the work speak for itself. There should be no need to look for people with strong lung power to do this.