My Dear Fellow Sons and Daughters of Ema Manipur,

Please spare some time off your busy schedule, for the sake of Ema Manipur, to go through this passage.

At the outset, we need to put this fact in perspective: We should never allow emotions and sentiments to guide the course of our community any further. Emotions and sentiments simply blunt our ability to think logically and practically.

This is a comprehensive effort on Dr. Pahel's and my part to present a holistic picture of the genesis and the methodology of bringing about a permanent solution of the whole gamut of problems facing the state.

We would like to make it very clear that we are pro-Manipur, pro-progress and pro-logic. We take full responsibility for our opinions which are intended to be read as purely our own opinions. This is an attempt at a realistic approach to break the vicious circle of problems Our beloved Ema Manipur has been facing and from which there seems to be no escape.

Everyone, including the militants ( I hope people would not mind our usage of certain terminologies, because the terminologies are appropriate as per our own views) are welcome to understand the value of well-intentioned debate and participate in the crucial discussion.

We hope people would not use any undemocratic means to force their views on others, and we never intend to, either. We, as citizens of a free and civilised world, enjoy Freedom of Speech, Thought and Choice. We all have a responsibility to safeguard this. All the learned members of the community, please share your views with us.

Another clarification is that this is going to be the last extensive effort from our part since we have become busier with our professional engagements. Even though we may not be able to oblige everyone with extensive answers (for want of time), we would definitely love to clarify single questions. We have definitely no time for responding to personal attacks. Let's criticise the ideas, not the persons. This is civilisation and sensibility.

1. Fundamental Ideology of Xenophobia/ Separation is wrong.

A) Conflicts of Cultures: Ethnocentrism and it's solution: (Dr. Pahel)

No one is suggesting we should stop being Manipuris. Neither that we should forget our culture. Nor that we should hate being ourselves. Nor that we should not have an identity. We need to stay rooted to our culture and identity if we have to survive as a community. But, this should not be the reason why we should hate other cultures. Every culture has their imperfections. We should now be mentally able enough to reason out and accept the fact that ETHNOCENTRISM is there to stay as long as mankind is there.

What is ETHNOCENTRISM? It is a sociological term that means every community or ethnic group (or any group based on race, region, religion, language, caste, class or creed) values their culture, or components thereof, above those of others. This phenomenon has been proved to be inseparable from human psychology at an individual level as well at macro-levels. The phenomenon has its negative aspects in that it is always used as a convenient tool to gain an edge over the vulnerable groups, or members thereof, in situations favorable to the particular individuals/ groups. The positive side is that it helps fostering community bonding and group behavior.

However, xenophobia and exclusivism have no place in a sensible and civilized world. Separatists and some others feel that we are the only people facing discrimination in India. What they do not seem to understand is that there is no one who does not face discrimination. Because, everyone is out to make a living in this world by any means available to them. That is when ETHNOCENTRIC feelings and obsessions come in handy. But this is there to stay. We have to live with it. We cannot escape from this by breaking away from India. Even in Manipur, the Imphalites look down upon the Lawai machas (Villagers), and the Meitei majority looks down upon the tribal minorities. So, the solution is not breaking up Manipur or India into small pieces for each ethnic group or community.

Let us discuss some issues people have raised time and again.

(1) We often blame the National Newspapers for not carrying Manipur-related news.

Here we should know that all newspapers are produced ultimately for commercial purposes. The commercial purposes are best served when the customers and potential customers are targeted. So, Delhi edition of Times of India has more news related to Delhi. This happens everywhere and with every newspaper. The Telegraph has extensive news about the North-East with substantial proportion being devoted to Assam!! They cannot be expected to be interested in our affairs specially because we have not done anything worth noticing except violence that is not any cultured people's taste.

(2) We also blame the Mainland Indians for being ignorant about Manipur/Manipuris.

But, let me remind you, we learnt about other places of India because they were either important places of mineral resources or places with importand industries or places with major shares in specific crop production, or because they were places of major historic importance in terms of the Freedom struggle... Now, do you think Manipur deserves a mention in any of the above contexts? No!!! And, how much do we know about the Marathas, Bengalis or Telugus as a community?

(3) We blame the Central leaders for not doing anything for us.

Why should they be bothered? We, the Manipuris, are not doing anything to help ourselves. We are least bothered by our problems and we look quite okay with whatever is going on. Even the Militants are not ready to come to the table for talks. When there are some problems between two sides, some misunderstandings are the reason. If the two sides are not going to talk out, how will the misunderstandings, and hence the problems, be solved? There's no competent leader from Manipur who can talk about our problems audibly. How are they supposed to know our problems? We are in a democracy where the loudest voice always has the maximum chance of being heard. India is not a small country either. The Central leaders have enough headaches and problems to occupy their minds and time. How do we expect them to understand our problems? Their attitude is: "Let these stupid people kill each other and finish themselves. They are not ready to solve their own problems. Why should we take the trouble of trying to get them to understand the importance of solving their own problems for their own sake? We have enough worries." In every way that a discerning human mind can think of, these Central leaders are right. WE NEED TO BLAME OURSELVES, AND NOT OTHERS

On the other hand, when we say "Mainland India", we seem to mean a homogeneous population/ community out to finish us specifically!!! The reality is that there are so many different communities that look down upon and exploit one another depending on the contexts. There are Bengalis, Tamils, Malayalees, Gujaratis, Marwaris, Marathis, etc. As I pointed out earlier, the Sikhs are always at the receiving end of dumb jokes. They faced a bloody riot in 1984 aimed entirely against them. Still, the community has outgrown all their nasty past. What can we learn from the Sikhs? The answer is their mature attitude towards the ETHNOCENTRIC CONFLICTS. We cannot keep blaming others for their chauvinism or ignorance about our culture or community. We should do good deeds and make progress so that they sit up and notice us. Violence and fretting on others' attitudes are too immature and childish to bear any fruits.

It doesn't mean either that we should stop being ETHNOCENTRIC, because as I pointed out, ETHNOCENTRISM is a useful tool for the community to stick together and progress in unity. We have to live with it. That is the only sensible way how we can solve the problematic part of ETHNOCENTRISM. Only that we need to guard against its being misused. The same argument was used to deconstruct the Greater Nagaland Movement through an extensive article webcast in the e-pao website. But, the educated section among us probably did not find the points raised in the article worth being used to give a logical foundation to the Protest against the Greater Nagaland Movement. Neither did the inept political leaders of the state! All they did was keep shouting, "Manipur should not be broken" again and again, and again and again, with overdose after overdose of emotions. When they sensed their losing ground (Obviously, who would listen to senseless shouting of the mindless community?), they resorted to their favorite bandh/strikes and destruction of the self and their own property!!! Very very typically Manipuri!!! I am very ashamed I can never imagine myself being such a typical Manipuri!!! Probably, I am not a Manipuri. Or am I anti-Manipuri?

B) Distorted History. (With inputs from Dr. Pahel's writings)

History has it that the King of Manipur was forced to sign the Merger Agreement with the Indian Union. Fine. But, why should some people use it now to blackmail people emotionally? Let us analyse the following.

(1) The Merger was largely as per the wishes of the people.

The Common People's opinion was one of being a part of India at the time of Independence. Indian National Congress had been active for ages in Manipur since the time of Freedom struggle. One factor was that Manipur had been in the Indian Administrative Union for so long. Another factor was that Manipur was socio-religio-culturally closer to India. Hinduism and the ensuing cultural exchanges and influences (the Bengali script is still being used in preference over our own script. Religious poojas are still being solemnised in broken Bengali/ Sanskrit. Just to mention some examples.) The Indian National Congress was already agitating at the time the Merger Agreement for making Manipur a part of India. So, the Merger was against the King's wishes, but largely as per the wishes of the people. That was not without reasons either.

(2)The King and his coterie had their own reasons for their reluctance.

Do we really have to explain this? Since time immemorial, the Kings of Manipur have never been known for their love of their subjects or the Kingdom, but they have been notorious for their love for power and the perks of the ability to indulge in their wildest fantasies. They were more concerned with intra-dynasty conflicts and coups. They have never been know to be morally upright either.

Manipur's history is full of such shameful indiscipline among the Kings never known for their humane and sublime qualities. How can we assume thatt the King suddenly started loving his people so dearly that he was willing to abdicate his throne and power to the people? We do not feel there is any need for further explanation. If necessary, we would not hesitate to do it. The claim that Manipur was the first democratic country in South-East Asia is a farce.

(3) Why did the people feel they were better off without the King?

The Kings of Manipur had never cared for the people. The people had learnt it through the ages. They had suffered enough under their despotic rules. They never knew the rules and norms of Civilisation. Manipur never made any progress and never could be expected to progress under their rules. Manipuris by and large wanted Democracy. It is a different matter that their wishes had been ambushed by the vested interests in the community who played the smart spoilsport. Militancy originally stemmed from the Royal Dynasty's (and their coterie's) anguish at being denied their authority and importance in the Democratic system of Indian Union. They started blackmailing the ignorant people by appealing to the very emotional aspects of human psychology like IDENTITY and Manipuris' PRIDE. That is the starting point for the downhill course of people's aspirations and hence of the community's status. Because that only helped strike a great emotional wedge between the Manipuris and the Mainland Indians. That never helped the Mainland Indians to be fully able to trust us. This is a fact. We agree and we all should agree that this is the fact.

C) Manipur should not be compared with Singapore or East Timor.

Singapore has a vast access to international maritime business by virtue of its being an island located at a strategically important place. So is East Timor. Manipur is on the other hand a landlocked state with very little dependable resources. Economists know the implications of this contrast. Moreover, while Singapore was expelled from Malaysian Federation, East Timor could gain Independence from Indonesia because of US support that their able leaders could garner through Christian Missionaries. We can never boast of such able leaders or strong support. We need not delve any further in the futility of wasteful pursuits.

2. Militants are not sincere with their stated aims.

If they are sincere in their stated aims, why should they do all these heinous things?

A) They enter any house at any time of the day and demand food and shelter thereby putting the house at further risks of being harassed by the Security Forces.

B) Then, these people and their sympathisers brandish their affiliation to these "organisations" to gain any favour in any type of dealing and to make unnecessary interference with people's lives, be it husband-wife quarrel, love triangles, family and property feuds, etc. They carry out all personal revenge with full immunity and protection of their organisations.

C) They take up all the PWD contracts for constructing roads, building, etc., and spend hardly 10% of the amount sanctioned for the job while the rest goes to their pockets to pay stipends for their cadres!!! The quality of the works they have done is very obviously pathetic, but no one dares to speak up because they will finish them off!!! Now the Flyover project in Imphal City is stuck because they have not got their share!!! What is this?

D) They tax all government employees in the state. Whenever they see a new building coming up, or whenever they get a report (that need not be true in every case!!!) that a person is making financial assets, they will send out demand letters to these people who, despite their non-subscription to their violent ideology, have to cough out the money they earned by toiling day in and day out. Why should they force people to support their cause? If they are so sure they are the representatives of the people, why can't they pool their funds from their sympathisers? Why can't they leave others alone so people can mind their own business of earning a living through respectable hard work?

E) They don't spare even such priceless facilities like RIMS from their extortion bully. The NEC people are considering moving the facility out of Manipur. Whose loss is this? SAHARA Airlines had to stop their services in Manipur because of the them!!! If the Loktak Hydro-Electric Project is being run with Central Fund, the Centre has every right to claim its share of the pie. It is the same rule with any Central establishment anywhere in the country. It is not Manipur-specific. What was the state of affairs when the Project was under state Government? Why was the project handed over to the Centre?

F) They side with specific political parties at the time of Elections, and play in the hands of their respective candidates, and do such dirty things like extorting money from the rival candidates to hamper their chances of victory!!!

3. What has Militancy achieved for Manipur?

The following are the factors for which militants primarily or the Manipuris as a community are responsible and which have resulted in the present system of rot in all the organs of the community. They have been discussed together for the sake of convenience.

A) We are an immature community (Dr. Pahel)

(1) Our community does not have a reading culture that reflects a society's thirst for knowledge that would enhance its ability to hone skills to keep abreast of the happenings in and around their society. When people are equipped with information and are continuously exposed to discussions and current societal and inter-societal dynamics, they can take the right decisions based on logic and pragmatism. We have been to different parts of India and come into close contact with many different communities.

Almost all of them have this amazing thirst for knowledge and even the housewives regularly read magazines and novels. The magazines of the proper and decent kind give many valuable tips about effective management of inter-personal relations and conflicts, bringing up of children, management of finance, etc. etc. The point is that the community with a reading culture will produce better and able members.

Hence, the collective behaviour of the community tend to be more mature and sensible. I hope people would not find it very hard to understand why we are an immature community. It is reflected in every way.

(2) Our Flawed Socio-Cultural Norms: Please see Dr. Pahel's article

(3) Knee-Jerkism. People have a very juvenile way of analysing things. They never seem to have a working brain. Mob culture and strike culture are so rampant now that people forget to understand that it is ultimately themselves that they are hurting and that it is their own interests that they are destroying. When NSCN was trying to push their Greater Nagaland cause, the Manipuris called road blockades and destroyed their own infrastructure like the Assembly Building---all of these over and above the economic blockade of the National Highways by the NSCN. What was the logic? Then, they burnt down the State Central Library, Govt office buildings and recently DM College and Imphal College Buildings!!! What exactly is there in the mind of the people?

(4) Someone said that Manipur was in the Stone Age when the Britishers arrived. The Manipuris had directly jumped into the Modern Age, in the process missing the lessons they should have learnt during the Civilisational gap between Stone Age and Modern Age. That explains the pathetic and clumsy way they manage their egos and many other socio-cultural aspects of their community in the Modern Age. They have not learnt the need for unity, discipline and loyalty. They do not understand the dignity of labour. Everyone wants a white collar job. When they cannot land one, they prefer being jobless rather than doing other non-glamorous jobs. Take the Script controversy. The Script had been included in the Eighth Schedule 14 years back. Till now there no consensus!!! What a funny community!!!

(5) Everyone is a King. No one is ready to listen to the sensible things a more qualified and able person brings up. They just dismiss them without even bothering to examine the logic and meaning. The community has not learnt the value of discipline and that of applying their mind in a calm way. No wonder everyone is doing what they want to. Gun culture is only an offshoot.

(6) Does any other community have so many festivals? Many festivals mean many ways of spending money and many working days wasted as holidays. When the economy is already in shambles, what does this mean? Why do we have to celebrate both Hindu and Meitei festivals? Where does the money that we spend go? No one bothers. No one cares. If someone uses his brain and speaks up, he will simply be shouted down.

B) Failed Education System

The temple of knowledge are frequent targets of the mindless mobsters. Almost daily routines of strikes, bandhs, boycotts, extortion demands from institutions, etc mean loss of class timings, loss of academic years and compromise with the careers of the students whose parents cannot afford their children's education outside. It also means that all sensible parents try their best to send their children outside for education and to protect them from bad influence. Where does the money that those parents are sending their wards go? If we had proper institutions and proper environment, should we have to incur such a huge Financial outflow load? Whose fault is this? Mainland India's?

C) Infrastructure.

It is true that Manipur does not have adequate infrastructure for a vibrant economic growth. Right. But, it is totally wrong to blame the Indian Govt. for the same. Can anyone answer this question: When were peace and economic development given a chance in Manipur? Never and not even now. It is a fact, however shocking it may be. The community has been largely pre-occupied with the so-called freedom struggle from India, be it because the militants would want them to, or because they are too afraid to raise their voices against the militants, or because they are simply ignorant. They have been engaged in destroying whatever little infrastructure we have and they are even obstructing efforts to develop any more infrastructure.

D) Economy.

We are not masters in Economics, but common sense tells us that if our economy has to be alive (Vibrancy is a luxury!!!), we have to have a balanced financial inflow and outflow. While we spend so luxuriously on innumerable numbers of festivals and other unnecessary rituals like extravagant churakarans, house warmings, and other ceremonies of birth, marriage and death (that can be simply and meaningfully performed), our productivity is almost nil. Shall we blame Mainland India for this, too? We do not expect any foolish loud yes. Our only financial inflow is in the form of Central Grants. So, what is the outcome? Debt. An ever mounting debt.

E) Corrupted Political Class.

Meanwhile the politicians are busy lining their pockets. Does anybody care to take notice of the various facts that have been carried in national dailies one of which is the fact that per capita Central Funding is the highest in the North-East? Where does it go? Is it not a common knowledge that they are being usurped by militants and politicians in connivance with each other? What are the people doing, then? Is it not their cowardly submission and lack of a civic sense that make them sit still with their mouths shut up and prefer to suffer in silence?

F) Socio-cultural fall-outs. (With inputs from Dr. Pahel's writings)

We have heard many people crying fouls over the Manipuri girls roaming and indulging in immoral activities with Non-Manipuri boys when they are outside Manipur. The way they dress and the way they make themselves look cheap and the way they damage the community's moral image in the eyes of the Mayangs are all because they are miserable in managing themselves and their freedom. This is in turn a reflection of our own immature Manipuri community.

But, we can look at it this way. Who does not want a good life even if it is for a short time? Especially when they are teenagers who are vulnerable to all sorts of temptations and when they have all the freedom, far away from the watchful eyes of their parents' eyes? Cars, money and good looking boyfriend are just a few of the things every girl wants to flaunt. With the standard of good looks being set against the Mainland Indians, the perceived superiority of the Mainland Indians over our own community, and the reality of a huge scarcity of principled and proper looking boys among our own community are the major factors that drive these hormone driven teenagers (and even some other more mature girls whose preferences may not be entirely wrong, anyway) towards the Mayang Nupas. Mention should not be skipped of the fact that many Manipuri parents (who had only sent their children out to avoid the bad inflence of the community) cannot afford even a decent allowance for their children. The young girls who have not been exposed to such real city-class luxury back at home are easily lured into exchanging sexual favours for such carefree enjoyment with whoever can assure them of such financial power of enjoyment (who happen to be Manyang Nupas most of the time!!!)

This is not to justify their actions, mind it. It should be noted that a community's moral standards are measured against its female folk. This is not just a sexist statement. The reason is simply because the whole community is born by its female folk. Nobody wants to be known as a son or daughter of a woman with cheap character.

All these fall-outs are a result of our community's continuous free fall in all areas of economy, education, social structure, etc. Do we have to repeat who are responsible for this socio-cultural fallout? And now, these very people are playing the moral policemen!!!

4. Why do we need AFSPA ?

A) Why was the AFSPA clamped in Manipur?

Because of the suspicious designs of the Royal Dynasty and their coterie, there was an understandable worried precaution on the part of the Indian leadership of that time specially because the region is a strategically important for India. But for the militancy, there was no way AFSPA should have been put into operation in Manipur. The situation never improved after that. Militants had robed the people of their aspirations. Somehow, and because of the immature community that the Manipuris are, the militants have managed to infiltrate each and every corner of the community's psyche and organs much like the cancerous cells in the body. This explains why AFSPA had to be clamped.

B) Why do we still need it?

The Govt of India has extended offers of talks to the militant outfits so many times. But, none of the militant organizations is really serious about a solution. They will never come to the negotiating table. This also proves the fact that the problems in Manipur are not entirely political in nature. They are more related to the gang war culture and extortionist criminals who have spread their tentacles into each and every organ of the community's being. The sad fact is that the ignorant people have still now chosen to keep mum. Where are the intellectuals? Why have the people not got the reality till now? What is happening? The people are too terrorized to even raise a voice. There is no sight of end or solution of the menace and the resultant mess that the state is in. Fire need not always be fought with fire. But, this is one of the most appropriate contexts where we need to fight fire with fire. There is no other way but AFSPA. AFSPA is a necessary evil now.

(2) It is the Center's job to solve our problems if we do not have the capability r the will to do so. The rule applies everywhere. If the state cannot solve its own problems, the Centre is bound by obligation to help the state out. The Nation's legitimate security concerns need to be addressed since Manipur is a border state of the Indian Union. It is a fact that we do not have to dispute or explain.

(3) The INESCAPABLE REALITY

a) No one is saying AFSPA is very sweet. But, it happens to be the treatment for the cancer, called militancy that Manipur is suffering from. Without the AFSPA, the Army would be severely handicapped. The all too familiar red tapism and bureaucratic and political hurdles mean that without the AFSPA, the Army would be with its hands tied from behind while the militants are going to make the Army cadres the easy game birds. We cannot expect to get the problem solved for the next thousand years, then.

b) AFSPA means that the Act is misused with resultant casualties to the civilian population that have been already bearing the brunt of militancy. Misuse is the side effect of taking a drug (medicine). Just as side effects are inherent for a drug by virtue of its mechanism of action or processing by the body, collateral damage is also inbuilt in the Act. This stems from many factors the most predominant of which is the inherent human fallibility. Let's see the following factors.

----Staying away from the family members for long periods.
----Constant exposure to the risk of losing life in the almost-a-battlefield situation.
----Prolonged deprivation of basic physical needs.

(4) Just because militancy has only increased under AFSPA, it does not mean that the Act is useless and it should be repealed. It only exposes the failure of the community's thinking apparatus that has utterly failed to understand the root cause of the problems, and hence inability to manage them properly. Once militancy is rooted out, AFSPA will be repealed without any need for us to make unnecessary hues and cries about its misuse. The Reddy Commission simply reflected the effect of the AFSPA on the psyche of the immature and already suffering community. It neither reflects the real nature of the problems in Manipur, nor the solutions thereof.

(5) In retrospect, we are the ones who are to be blamed primarily. We need to shoulder the responsibility. We are the ones who need to pay. We are the ones who, by virtue of our sheer ignorance and unwillingness to wizen up, have allowed militancy to grow among us and voted the incapable politicians to power, based purely on their money power. We have always been shallow minded. We need to learn it the hard way. We need to lose some if we want to gain some.

(6) How many fronts can we fight in simultaneously? We have a full scale war at our hands. On one side, we have the militants. On the other hands, we have the social malfunctions. Still on the other hand, we have the AFSPA. When we know that militancy is the most dangerous front we need to fight, and that the other two fronts will be automatically taken care of once we win the front against the militancy, why can't we still see which front we should approach first?

5. Why do we need a "Manipuri" KPS Gill?

Because otherwise, India is bound to face unnecessary harassment in the international community by virtue of the ignorant and yet over-sensitive media and human rights hype. When someone among us shows the courage to lead from the front, just like KPS Gill did in Punjab, we are likely to succeed with far less damage to all sides and without much hue and cry. We are Manipuris. We have suffered at the hands of the Army and the Militants. When we know who is majorly responsible for the present state of Manipur, and when we can kill both the snakes of the Army and Militants with the same stick for a lasting solution and peace, we should be prepared to sacrifice for the sake of Ema Manipur so Manipur can look forward and run a developmental sprint, that is the hard need at the moment, to catch up with the rest of the world. It is high time.

The need of the moment is an awakening among the common people, and a courageous movement born out of genuine concern and dedication for the community. We need a strong will of the community as a whole. How long are we going to keep our mouth shut? How long are we going to keep suffering?