The cunningness of the seasoned government is that, thereafter, many a gullible got tickled pink by prospects of no more power shortage. Some even sing the praises and are lulled by the prospects of some future free power!

Such people have not paused and thought: How long that foundation stone would take to become an inauguration stone? How can so-called free power be translated into something real for the aam aadmi? Are these strategic attempts engineered to make us forget about light and life till 2020-going-on-2030?

Because, just imagine this: 10x365=3650 days and nights. Or 20x365=7300 days and nights without much light! What a dark future? For me, I think that is one of the best reasons why Manipur must create the environment for fighting for and getting our much-needed electric power in double quick time.

Given that bleak power future, I do not mind joining my hands and beseeching all those anti-dam lobbies and individuals: Let us just say a big YES; let us, instead, push and force those who are to build the four dams... that they build well and safely in double record time; that we shall allow them to build only when they include the dam-affected as real stake-holders with guaranteed life-long provisions in their bank accounts… in the form of ESOPs, a la NR Murthy of Infosys! (Ref. this writer's “Dams: Small is Beautiful”).

Yet, one knows that such beseeching will get nowhere. So, in the mean time, the questions to ask are: Why must we wait so long? Isn't there something that can be done in the mean time? With the technology available can't we have alternative sources of power that can be set up in a few month's time?

Can't we think of having enough power for the whole state, not from one source, collected and distributed by one Electricity Department that has consistently failed. We must have power from hundreds of alternative power generating sources… all independent of each other, and certainly under 1/100th the cost of mega projects? In other words: Why not go in for a policy of… “Power: Small is Beautiful” and “Power to the People”?

There shall be knowledgeable objections telling about the higher cost per unit of electricity produced by alternative sources, like solar and wind energy, as compared to power from a mega hydro-project. There is no denying that cost advantage. But, what of the cost of tens of thousands of our youth losing out, every year, on their irretrievable time, because of no electricity?

Consider, their potential never to be tapped, their fantastic energies wasted; their contracting of eye and health problems; their taking up of gun-culture; their marrying, having a family, and still living off parents, society or state; or their taking to alcohol or drugs; their dreams shattered, their lives squandered?

Consider workshops and steel fabricators, Xerox machines and cyber-café owners, clinics, hospitals, offices… none working to efficiency, capacity or profit … all because there is not enough cheap clean power? Yes, what of such costs that are beyond calculation?

If economists say the social and economic cost of unemployment is very high, we must know that the availability of power empowers everyone, regardless of age, colour, caste, creed, status, influence or pocket. So much so that it can dramatically lower our unemployment figures and enjoyably improve the quality of life. That, in brief, is one of the powers of power.

Actually, in the light of the above inestimable costs, ten mega-projects would be cheaper!

In November 2006 (recall my TSE article: “Dams: Small is Beautiful”) i thought the solution, viz. of how to get light quickly, lay in having four smaller dams, instead of one mega-Tipaimukh.

I had concluded thus, on the thought that even if only one of the four smaller dams got commissioned in 4-5 years, then Manipur's entire power needs could be easily met, either by buying up all of that first smaller dam's entire MW output. Or, in our typical and more likely fashion, by hijacking all that is produced, payments be damned!

This line of thinking was born of my back-up-to-back-up experience and our culture of enjoying-power-without-payment. It was also born out of the knowledge that one big dam is going to continue attracting obstructions and controversies all the way, even beyond its inauguration day. One needn't be a prophet to see that coming.

Anyway, it was in January of 2007 that my frustrations peaked. For I saw how much electricity was evolving, empowering and enhancing the lives of people from Darjeeling to Sikkim to the Kingdom of Bhutan to the north-eastern states of Assam, Meghalaya and Nagaland (places and states I drove through in a month long darshan, and so saw what I am saying with my own eyes).

I ended up thinking that if there were to be a NE power club, these states would easily qualify for membership. (Arunachal - which I leave for another day - would also quite easily qualify, judging from reports). Whereas, Manipur would disqualify herself by a mile... though we are world-beaters in so many more ways than any of the others.

The darshan has doubly confirmed my earlier contention: Access to electricity is the way to development! This is as opposed to everyone else's Peace for Development, or the nastier: “Development after Peace.” Whereas, my watchword is: Power for Development.

[In fact, cannot our powers-that-be realize that one cannot buy peace? Haven't they experienced that peace will come dropping by… in its time? On the other hand, development can be hurried and bought. Bought today itself. Or tomorrow. Come to think of it, if we had bought it yesterday, there'd have been so much peace today. So let's be practical and buy that development, and not worry about peace].

Now, I for one, just do not want to wait and waste even one day… forget years… of my life living on someone's pipe dream! I cannot, and why must i wait for my land's hundred thousand students foolhardily using up their alternate day's irregular electric light quota for watching TV... after which all of them will pore painfully over their books, lit by Myanmarese candle-light?

Here, if a critic says youth have their priorities all wrong, e.g. watching serials and Arirang when they ought to use whatever little light that comes for studies... I'd say, this was a case of the pot calling the kettle black. In this matter, I side fully with youth.

Rather, I blame the elders who run the government, not luckless youth. Isn't it, therefore, the Government that has all its priorities deliberately all wrong?

With time running out for the young of our land in this world of mind-boggling opportunities and bitter races - just because their elders did not and do not have the vision to provide the wherewithal for a level power-field, something else must be sought, something else must be done - besides lying down and waiting for dams to come 10-20-30 years hence. Yes, something else must be done… so that we can tell it with a sigh and make all the difference for their and our future!

What we need – and need to cry for - is not alternative roads and alternative sites, but alternative sources of power. Easier said than done, undoubtedly. However, not trying is not going to make life easier, so here's an attempt by suggesting some things known but not seriously thought of.

The precaution being that any of the suggested power systems taken up for implementation ought to be selected on a location's suitability basis, e.g. a wind generating system is to come up if, and only if the place is a really windy place. And not because the MLAs' windless village must have it, come what may.

to be continued ...