Studying the way the protests are being held : Educating the protesters
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: July 30 2015 -

The stand of the Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System (JCILPS) is clear.

The stand of the protesters too appear to be clear.

What however is not clear is how to go about with the public protest that has been underway for a number of days now.

True the JCILPS has already sounded the call to carry on with democratic agitations until and unless the Government come up with a legislation that seeks to protect the indigenous people of the land.

Remember the operative word here is democratic agitation or protest.

However with the agitation getting more and more intensified, it is more or less clear that no one or no organisation seems to be at the pilot’s cockpit to at least give a sense of direction to the protesters who are out there on the streets.

This should explain why things have tended to turn violent and unsavoury on numerous occasions.

This was clearly manifested during the 38 hours bandh called by the Joint Action Committee formed in connection with the death of Sapam Robinhood.

Any bandh or even curfew imposed by the Government comes with its share of relaxation for services that are deemed to be essential.

As in other parts of the world, the media in Manipur too enjoys the leeway that is provided during such times.

It is in line with this universal observation that the daily newspapers have been hitting the news stand without fail, during these troubled times.

Moreover it also stands that it is the media which have been highlighting the movement of the people to the world.

It is however worrisome when the protesters forget that there is a relaxation on the media.

Not uncommon to see media persons being gruffly told to take another route and at times even blocked when they are out on their rounds, collecting the day’s reports.

Moreover it should not be forgotten that the media persons work at odd times and it definitely makes no sense to subject them to all sorts of inconvenience and trouble when they return home in the dead of the night everyday.

Pressure should be mounted on the Government to be more sensitive to the need of the people and the land.

Yet at the same time it should also be realised that subjecting media persons on duty to all sort of inconveniences and at times even derogatory treatment on the roads is not pressurising the Government by any stretch of the imagination.

The plight of the media persons is an example that is being quoted here, for it stands that any movement aimed at putting the pressure on the Government should be guided by logic and good sense.

The movement to protect or ensure the future of the local people will come to naught if in the course of the protests it has the potential to pit the people against each other.

The protesters on the road need to realise that it costs them nothing to be more mature in their approach.

Stopping people from taking a sick and ailing man to the hospital because the demand for ILPS is in full swing cannot be justified.

Time to give some serious thought to the manner in which the protests are being carried out.