Utilization Mass Energy
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: August 29 2015 -
The effective use or rather the utilization of mass energy by civil society organizations found prominence in an era of popular anti-establishment movements in the recent past.
This is despite the fact that the concept is as old as the advent of modern nation state.
Under such historical backdrop, the Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System (JCILPS) has every right to feel a sense of relief from its responsibility on spearheading the agitation for the implementation of a regulation that truly protects the interests of the indigenous people of Manipur.
On Thursday, JCILPS stated that the people of Manipur were indeed successful in demonstrating their real power further strengthened by democratic principles in launching different forms of agitation to demand Inner Line Permit System (ILPS).
The committee has however asked the people not to be complacent about the latest development till the proposed Bills become Acts and a reality.
Here, it should be noted that Manipur has witnessed multifarious voices against the silence or the indifference of the ruling dispensation on issues of public interests.
While observers have put these protests into categories for the convenience, few have made attempts to understand the relationship the State has with individual citizens.
Though, there are nuanced explanations to the creation of the public space and protests, the government had always found legitimization utilizing its overarching power in either suppressing the movement or maintaining silence over issues.
A close look at the recent phenomenon of the State exercising its power also highlights the great ideological divide between the rulers and the ruled.
The failure of the State to free itself from shades of authoritarianism has been witnessed in the numerous protests, shut-downs and strikes that almost become everyday experience in the last two months or so.
Whether or not these tactics help in actually achieving the set objectives, one can also see unending contradictions with certain quarters viewing everything from the prism of ethnic interests.
There are also many who can offer alternative narratives to such understanding.
However, one should be clear that the only way to forge ahead is to look back and see if the quantum of the energies spent on launching movements can well compensate the loss of rational democratic principles while the State continues to reinforce its control over the people.
* Comments posted by users in this discussion thread and other parts of this site are opinions of the individuals posting them (whose user ID is displayed alongside) and not the views of e-pao.net. We strongly recommend that users exercise responsibility, sensitivity and caution over language while writing your opinions which will be seen and read by other users. Please read a complete Guideline on using comments on this website.