We are always first in shameful acts too

By RS Jassal *

The valiant never taste of death but once Julius Caesar. The gruesome murder of Dr Th Kishan, SDO Kasom Khullen & his two staffs, has created ripples in the State mood & psyche. Reaction in sympathies & surprise from one and all has been spontaneous.

Since the heart breaking murder of baby Lungnila Elizabeth (Imphal), murder of Hubert & Martin, (Senapati), this occurrence has also united all the people of hills & valley in spirit alike to raise alarm bells against highly unethical pursuit of unscrupulous killings.

Sometimes, I wonder, in our State though very small in number as if some are always busy in weaving the spider web to create some news or the other to claim first. May be the field of sports, drama, art in upbeat & corruption, rice & over rice scandal, extortion quantums, one & the same person serving two Depts & drawing pay on fictitious academic certificates & incredible DOB serving to pension & going undetected & what not. To ascertain correct No of Govt Employees, 20,000 were found drawing pay without entity.

Number of UG outfits, imagine Assam used to boast of 34 organisations, now we can boast of above 50 as on today, even some ranging from three to seven only in one outfit with one printed pad, insignia & stamp but just one leaf out of that affecting the receiver in shiver to spines till negotiated settlement is reached at through mediators. However if any author can produce the accurate list certifying, no more than that may be the enlightened author of the times.

Follow the event in this case, whatever the skeptic references are available from media, and imagined by others right from DC office Ukhrul to the bridge (Kuki Taphou) ie, recovery point of dead bodies, it is amazing to note the method employed by the killers ie, use of hoe and stone, how terrible !

Imagine the torture the unfortunate victims might have undergone with hands tied is really replicating the scene of Stone Age. Notwithstanding what comes out of the enquiries; if ever made public by the Govt; if it was for extortion/developmental funds/cut then why decamped with the entire staff & how come no information leaked out till dead bodies recovered.

If it was known, then how the vehicle in which they were being transported escaped public view, police, SFs check posts enroute & since 13 Feb or at least from 14 Feb onwards no search efforts were launched, after all the person involved was one of the important administration functionary.

Shrimad Bhagwat Gita lays down quite clear Soul does not die; it is only body which perishes (whether in natural or unnatural way). And remember spirit is stronger than the body. Are the killers not afraid of the aftermath which they have to face till they die? One who resorts to this way of act, has to wake up 100 times in hallucinations while alone in bed or wilderness under curse which is worst than suffering the just passed trial so arraigned in self styled court by the moral policemen—the wolves in sheeps skin.

We all aspire to live a good life in good social environments. To recall Moran Thomas, the secret of a good life is to have the right loyalties and hold them in the right scale of values. Cast in concurrent scenario, we need it most in Manipur. Today it is like moving in a rudderless boat.

The silver lining of course is visible in all the Hill tribes civil societies giving univocal cry against this dastardly act. Let the pressure and heat so generated out of this unfortunate incident be directed by the civil societies relentlessly to bring the culprits to book under law of the land. Let us, we be the First in this venture too.

May civil societies come out victorious!

Nevertheless, author conveys deep condolences to the bereaved family members of all the killed, shares terrible loss to the administration and the State and appeals to the entire important civil society organisations to exercise their cool & wisdom to pool energies to unearth the reasons behind killings, with Govt's efforts apart.

It is learnt from the friends & associates of late Dr Kishan that there was a lot of substance in him, academically he was super and was sufficiently fired with zeal to render service to the people. There is a big loss to the people of border areas in his death.

Issuing of emotive statements by anyone individually or in group may be with-held till culprits are caught. Govt may consider introducing chowkidara system in addition to employ VDF to cover at least villages falling on National & State Highways to note movement of vehicles at all hours.

No doubt check posts cannot ensure 100% check all the time, but considering the variety of unsuspecting activities by unsocials & unlawfuls it is worth considering asking all the vehicles to stop at check post just for a while to enable visual check, for man on duty. It is a psychological fact, if scanned carefully & swiftly vehicles speed under duress or the facial expression of travellers do reflect something wrong somewhere.

Officers specially should not take it as offence if stopped by a policeman or man in OG on duty but must buck up with a cheer. To end, may their souls rest in peace and others released unharmed.