An equation by any name is an equation
- Social cost is a social cost -

Amar Yumnam *

There are certain events which we characterize as hysteresis in nature. We call a phenomenon as so when we feel the impact or effect of it after a gap. Future scenarios of a society are highly path dependent on such events. We may try to alter the contemporary scenarios howsoever hard but it would be pretty difficult to achieve as the earlier events and acts have scheduled the present scenario.

Education as Hysteresis: The contemporary socio-economic strength of Manipur is the result, to a significant extent, of what she had done in the education sector twenty to forty years earlier. We are in a fairly competitive position socio-educationally today thanks to the collectively committed labour the society had put in thirty years before or earlier.

In other words, the present socio-economic strength of the land is a path-dependent result of the social efforts we had put in three-four decades back. What I am trying to say is that our social strength tomorrow and the collective education prowess twenty years down the line would be determined by what we do today in connection with the education sector.

This being so, we need to be doubly careful when it comes to adversely affecting the smooth performance of educational functions. We may have as many reasons as possible for jeopardising education process at any time of historical transition of a society, but we must accept the fact that this definitely is a long run social cost.

We may not feel the cost immediately for we may just perceive the present as plain transitory event. However the cost is really long lasting and it would eat into the social strength over a long period of time.

State and Education: It is for this reason that the state everywhere in the world attaches every possible importance to have a no holes, no lumps and no bumps education sector. While the society is collectively expected to endeavour for such an order, it is the primary responsibility of the state to ensure this.

But, very unfortunately, Manipur's education services are disturbed today. This is even more unfortunate because it is only during the last less than half a decade or so that education has started returning to the expected and normal path after about two decades or so of absolute chaotic decline. The social time lost in recent months can at best be recovered over a period extending years, assuming that the sector regains normalcy in right earnest.

This local context adds to the social responsibility of the state towards ensuring an undisturbed atmosphere in the education sector.

State Bankruptcy: The bankruptcy of the state in Manipur comes out very glaringly in connection with the handling of the crisis arising out of the 9mm phenomenon in the very heart of the State's capital and ultimately leading to the closure of educational classes. What happened was a social manifestation of a degrading governance, and not just plain law and order issue.

The government should have seen it as the signal of the pit to which its governance quality has fallen into, and catch the opportunity to immediately connect with the people.

Well the government of the land, as it is its wont for the last few years, refused to do so. Instead it sought a solution in the easiest but least likely to succeed method of suppressive interventions. The long and unwarranted years of lived experience with the brutally suppressive law empowering the state gunners to kill anyone on suspicion and that too with impunity have taught the people of the land on how to endure state violence and resist it in right circumstances.

Now the state has committed a double crime. First, there was the dubious killing of citizens in the heart of the administrative, political and economic capital of the land.

This happened in broad daylight and in peak hour of business. Secondly, when the uncertain social dimensions of the event were brought out empowered with non-failing photographs, the government should have responded with a social and democratic face. Instead it used suppression as the response. This further distanced the government of the day from the people.

Head of the Head of the People: In a democracy where government is formed by a party which returns the highest number of legislators, and led by the leader of that party, it is natural that the accountable responsibility of that leader is demanded in critical social junctures.

It would speak of the statesmanship or otherwise of that leader by the manner he responds and acts during such crucial moments. He must be able to visualise the gravity of any crisis better than any other and must also be able to carry the people along for a solution to the crisis.

But in the present circumstances, I am afraid if the present head of the people has utterly failed to live upto his responsibilities, and address the exigencies of the crisis. Now that for months the education in the land has been sacrificed speaks of his own failure.

One may say that he definitely has not ordered the closure of the educational institutions. But the fact still remains that it relates to his leaving chair or otherwise. That he has not been able to either neutralise the force of the demands or enforce the resumption of classes ultimately speaks of his declining political space.

In a democracy, the state fails when the head of the people fails. In whatever trade-off, the interest of the state should override that of the head of the people. One who abides by this principle is called a statesman.