Spinning a yarn to deceive : Of licensed guns and others
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: September 15 2011 -

The bare patch at the foreground is the spot where an office once stood - Pix :: TSE

After more than 40 days of quietly watching the drama unfolding on the National Highways, the State Government finally decided to take up some concrete measures and the Cabinet meeting held on September 13 adopted some resolutions which were a pleasant departure from the earlier such meetings.

It was with a sense of smugness and with a sense of satisfaction that some work has been done that reporters were briefed of the Cabinet finally deciding to crack the whip and show that democracy cannot tolerate things such as the open call to the people to arm themselves and take the fight to its logical conclusion.

How can the SHDDC leaders entertain the thought that they can issue such a blatant call and get away with it ?

In line with this overwhelming belief, the Cabinet decided to instruct the ADC of Kangpokpi to announce that all licensed gun holders should deposit their arms to the Kangpokpi police station.

Moreover it was also decided that the SP of Senapati police and the Additional SP of Kangpokpi would be instructed to file FIR cases against the leaders of SHDDC and arrest them accordingly.

Perfectly in sync with what a Government ought to do, when the life support routes of the people have been cut off and announcements such as urging the people to take to arms and stock goods to last them for 60 days in preparation for a long drawn out battle with the Government over the demand to grant district status on Sadar Hills are issued so nonchalantly.

This was what was sought to be conveyed and the desperate attempt of the Government to show that it cannot be seen as some pushovers was clearly visible.

And so it was that after more than 40 days of cutting off the lifelines of the people, after numerous Government offices have been reduced to cinders, after four persons had lost their lives in incidents connected to the highway blockade, after hospitals had to suspend normal surgery due to lack of medical oxygen, Chief Minister O Ibobi decided to roll up his sleeves and take the fight to the courtyard of the blockade supporters.

Thus came the writ to impound all licensed guns as well as to file FIR reports against the leaders of the SHDDC and arrest them accordingly. If this was an attempt to convey that something was being done, then it worked. However it worked or will work for only such a time as no uncomfortable questions are raised by pesky newsmen.

The Sangai Express has no qualms about being dubbed pesky and raise some questions that may make the decision makers squirm in their seat in discomfort.

It is here that some plain talking is needed. The tough decisions that the Cabinet announced yesterday was a concoction of tales and myths that will deceive no one, once some of the bare facts are laid before the discerning citizens.

A decision to impound licensed guns is fine and is in line with what the situation demands. However did the Cabinet have any idea about the number of licensed gun holders in Sadar Hills or in areas that come under the jurisdiction of the ADC, Kangpokpi ?

The answer is probably no, for it is more than clear that the ADC office in Kangpokpi has no idea about the same.

Was the Cabinet memo circulated before the meeting so that the figures could have been laid on the table when it came up for discussion ?

Why has no instruction been issued to the ADC office, even after more than 24 hours of the Cabinet deciding to impound the licensed guns ?

Have the SP of Senapati police and the Additional SP of Kangpokpi been informed or instructed to file the FIR cases against the SHDDC leaders ?

It is apparent that even after 24 hours of the decision being taken, no such instruction has reached the office of the SP and the Additional SP. This is vintage SPF Government style of functioning.

The only thing is, it is not a joke when one takes into consideration that people have to stay in queues overnight before petrol pumps to be allotted fuel worth Rs 400 or Rs 500.

It is not a joke when people are forced to shell out Rs 50 for a kilogram of potatoes while the same is available at Rs 10 or 12 in other parts of the country. It is not a joke when one considers the fact that this has been going on for over 40 days now.

And certainly there is nothing remotely funny about a Government which just cannot decide what to do and does not hesitate in cooking up some fantastic yarn to mislead the public.