Arnold Schwarzenegger is back in his new avatar as the Governor of California. That doesn't surprise us much though. He is a household name in the US and many of the Hollywood reaching countries of the world. It was a given that this 30-million-dollar-a-movie actor would be the next "Governator" after beating all his rivals-among them former Governor Gray Davis, whom the Economist describe colourfully as having all the popularity of a cat at a dog show -by a huge margin of votes. But to attribute the success to his screen image alone will not only be naive, but also will amount to underestimating his political acumen and discounting voters' intelligence.

Right, his political skill is yet untested, and even more uncertain is how he will fare in his role as the highest executive of the state of California, which is reeling under monstrous financial crisis. Yet, it is that uncertainty about him that is his biggest draw. People crave for change and some thrills, which a former actor can provide.

Indeed the Californians deserve a change. They have long been ill served by their bungling politicians and bureaucrats, whose inept policies have led to huge deficits in the state's budget. With an economy as large as that of England, the state has run up deep financial woes to the tune of 30 billion $, a gaping hole which Arnold seeks to bridge. It is to be seen whether he fulfills that daunting promise, but we expect the Terminator star to bring along with him fresh ideas and methods to rectify the financial mess. Unlike career politicians characterized by their intermittent lies and glib talk (gosh! this is true even in America), Arnold, being a newcomer, is likely to formulate transparent and robust policies, unhindered by political pulls and pressures.

Something like this should happen to Manipur too. Someone who has personal appeal, magnetism and popularity should come forward-out of the blue-to do an Arnoldian act. If there is any society that cries for change more than any other, and deserve it immensely, than it is the Manipur society. Our politicians have repeatedly failed us, looted us, betrayed us, taken us for a ride; and the end result is: we are today among the most backward states in the country. The neighbouring states have marched ahead of us, and our so-called leaders are a silent spectator to the rot that has crept into our society.

The political leadership and the system that sustains it has also become so corrupt that even the surviving few honest and visionary leaders are not allowed to function at all. They are being threatened with the prospect of being accorded pariah status if they don't fall in line with the majority's game-plan.

What is the way out of this system that punishes honesty, uprightness, talent and rewards the rotten apples? Can we rely on institutions? Shall we insurrect against the system and replace it with a transparent Athenian style democratic mechanism? Shall we reform the political class and their cronies? Shall we follow Gandhi's policy of non-cooperation? Are we really capable of governing ourselves; if not, isn't this a slap on the face of political extremists who are fighting for sovereignty-a full-fledged self rule?

These are not easy questions, and we don't have easy answers. Even if we manage to agree on any one option, that solution is likely to be doomed. Vested interests are too strong to be subjugated. Anything or anyone who seeks to alter the convenient system will face stiff opposition from them. They are powerful, rich, influential, and "respectable" people in our society, and they will unite under one common agenda, which is to perpetuate the status-quo forever.

It is at this hour that the Arnold's victory has shown us a path. His victory has underscored to what extent a popular individual, rather than a political party, can go to transform a comatose administration into one of high expectations and optimism. A strong towering individual backed by a popular mandate is more likely to rally behind him people of all hues and ideological leanings. A political party, on the other hand, is often unwieldy for any leader as different individuals behave at cross purposes to plot their own ends, which means it cannot always have a coherent plan and the will to implement it.

The bottom line is that we need one thinking leader, charismatic and popular who can carry along with him the public opinion, and deliver the goods-not only hollow promises. Such a man must be rare, we acknowledge, but in our 2 million plus Manipuri population, there must be at least one man who has the idea to untangle the mess. He could be living unsung within the borders of Manipur. He could be whiling away time in an American city. It doesn't matter where he is. We need him.

So would the real leader please stand up and take up the baton? You need not be a movie star, but you are an achiever in your own right. You have the intellectual depth to understand the ground reality and the sagacity to venture forth-new solutions to the old problems. Your style of functioning has freshness about it that old moth-eaten politicians never had. You are a visionary. Corruption, inefficiency, red tape and indecisiveness are an anathema to your values.

Nevertheless, you are not an Arnold clone. We don't want you to be either. When we compare you to that American, we only intend to draw you to the independent and individualistic spirit of the man and his personal presence. Arnold is not a perfect model leader and he has several chinks in his armour-both at the personal and the professional fronts. It is not that he is an idol, yet he deserves our applause for his emphatic success at reversing a status-quo politics. We, in Manipur, need the same change. The same cure.

Is our man listening?