Politics of lies and more lies : Highway drama
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: September 28 2011 -

Two points emerge clearly from the politics of cutting off the National Highways in the name of pursuing a demand—the lies and more lies of wrapping an agenda under the mask of a demand and the presence of a weak kneed, useless Government.

The ongoing economic blockade imposed by the Sadar Hills Districthood Demand Committee and the counter blockade imposed by the United Naga Council are no exception.

The past is more than enough indication that cutting off the lifelines of a people is no answer to any issue and the 64 days of blockade imposed on the National Highways by the UNC and ANSAM in 2010 did not result in the Government declaring the election to the Autonomous District Councils null and void.

The 52 days economic blockade of 2005 did not compel the Government to drop the idea of observing June 18 as Integrity Day and a State holiday for the simple reason that the announcement was meant for only one year and by the time the economic blockade came into force, the day had come and gone.

There is no reason to believe that the same script would not be repeated this time too.

Yes there have been cases such as the one when the Government was forced to get its act together when the Senapati District Students' Association imposed an economic blockade to get some work done on the deplorable condition on the then NH-39, now NH-2, but it is important to keep in mind that the cause struck a chord with all section of the people with even the transporters backing the stand of the student organisation.

Yet despite this, economic blockade continues to be the main weapon used by some powerful entities on the National Highways and the reason why this is so should be obvious to all.

Economic blockade can be sustained only when the people living by the side of the National Highways are brain washed into believing in an artificial enemy or foe craftily created by some wannabe political leaders, who otherwise would have no place under the Sun.

And so it is that certain communities, the majority community in this case, are drawn up as the big enemy standing in the way of the 'long cherished dream' of a group of people and herein lies the perfect recipe for a prolonged economic blockade to be imposed.

This is the reason why life saving drugs, medical oxygen, daily requirements of the people etc, which have nothing to do with the demand per se are targeted and burnt to cinders on the highways.

This is madness but there is a method behind this madness and what is being staged on the National Highways today is the streamlined, crafted, modelled and scripted presentation of this method behind the madness.

It is this method which doubles up as the ladder for the people orchestrating the economic blockades to climb the rung of political importance and social status. Power brokers that is what they become and ultimately economic blockades mean nothing but the impoverishment of the common people.

This end result is applicable to both the blockade enforcers as well as those at the receiving end of the blockade. Given the fact that economic blockades have become synonymous with the State of Manipur, why do the people calling the blockade not wisen up to this glaring fact ?

The answer lies in the years of being brain washed into believing in an enemy which was created for the convenience of the wannabe political figures. It is the belief in this artificially created enemy that blinds them to the ugly fact that eats away their vitals.

To the Government, such as the one there is presently, the prolonged economic blockade may just be the right thing to divert the attention of the people from its many failures as well as potential issues which may just catch it in a state of unpreparedness.

Sharmila was news material some time back, but today her place in the consciousness of the people has been replaced by the price of a kilogramme of potatoes !

If this is not some sort of a Godsend to the Government then what will be ?

The question of what has happened to the promise of Team Anna to show solidarity with Sharmila gone now is another point.

Why has the voice of discontentment against the "copy and paste" questions in the preliminary examination of the recently held MCS/MPS examination petered out ?

The Government obviously has a vested interest in the continuation of the economic blockade and not surprisingly the people directing the progress of the economic blockades on the National Highways do not seem ready to accept this reality.