Whither Ima Manipur ?
Dr Ranbir Laishram *
Hours and days passed by,
Our homeland, a tiny dot on the globe,
With an insignificant land mass,
Is facing of late, endless unresolved ethnic related issues,
Claims and counterclaims,
Blames and counterblames,
Conflict after conflict,
Unending demands by some ethnic groups.
Think tanks' analysis and solution to the complex issues,
A vision, still far from realization.
Days and weeks passed by,
Warfare after warfare amongst ethnic groups,
Massacre of innocent helpless people,
Houses and properties reduced to ashes by man made inferno,
People displaced by conflict in thousands
Sheltering in relief camps with endless deficiencies,
Unopposed blockade of state's lifelines,
Cry and lament of the bereaved families,
Hunger, fear and depression, and untold stories of tragedy of the displaced people,
Chaos in every sphere of life,
State's administration and economy in jeopardy,
None knows what lies behind the screen
and beyond the mountain ranges.
Weeks and months passed by,
No sign of end to violence and warfare.
A wish of the people -
All ethnic related issues are resolved and
peace and harmony prevails.
The sensible question in one's mind -
Why was the fire of conflict not extinguished at the beginning?
Why is the conflict allowed to continue for such a long time?
Will the wound in the heart and mind of the people inflicted upon by conflict ever be healed?
Will the resulting deep scar ever allow the ethnic groups to live in peace and harmony in the times to come?
What does the deafening silence of some top leaders speak of the critical issues?
Can there be any mutually acceptable solution to the sensitive complex issues?
In life, in reality, nobody wins in warfare.
Everyone in our homeland suffers,
More so, the poor and vulnerable ones.
Although, it's humanly not possible to let go of what has happened;
It's high time to look forward for initiation of a meaningful dialogue for restoration of peace.
The crucial issue is
Will the history and integrity of Ima Manipur be considered and respected at the time of dialogue for peace initiatives?
* Poem written by Dr Ranbir Laishram for The Sangai Express
This poem was webcasted on 29 July 2023.
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