A New Year, A New Govt and a New Start
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: March 17, 2012 -

Chingthou Keicha from the desk

Once again, Cheiraoba is here bringing with it scores of hopes and new resolutions to ponder with. The first ray of the morning sun, instilling a fresh attitude to every mind - old and young, once again brings new messages and odes marking the beginning of a new spring season.

It is the time when every living being on the planet blossoms once again with new rays of hope. It indeed is the beginning of a New Year with nature's beauty extending to every direction.

Since olden days, people in Manipur have been observing the spring Equinox, the day which marks the beginning of a new spring season as the beginning of a New Year.

The season gives new look to the world with new buds and frail petals rising up from the trees and plants. Season's first rain falls on the earth showering new blessings over every living beings.

To every person, it is the day to peel away the darkness of cold winter and embrace the warmth of spring.

When droplets of the season's first rain fell upon the wild grasses, it tickles the young minds with a hopeful and reconstructive eternal feeling.

Coinciding with the new season and year is the new government which has been elected to power by the people with new hopes and new agendas aiming to spur development in the state with new plans and projects.

Even though it is the same party, which has been ruling the state for the last 10 years, every individual hopes for the best to happen under the new term of the Congress government.

In the last 10 years, we have witnessed many unwanted situations and some positive attitude of the government towards the development of the trouble torn state. Many have lost their lives in the name of counter insurgency while many are still shouting for a little attention from the government towards their plight.

It was during the Congress led government when state forces killed Chungkham Sanjit and Rabina in broad daylight in the heart of Imphal city.

And again it was during the tenure of the same government, a young and promising journalist lost his life in the hand of unknown armed perpetrators.

On the other hand, we cannot forget that the same government handed over the sacred and religious Kangla to the people of the state by snatching it from the Assam Rifles.

Again, it was the same government which withdrew AFSPA from seven assembly segments of Greater Imphal area. However, one cannot say or think that the government is the perfect or rather a good government which understands the pulse of its people and act accordingly.

There are still many issues and public demands which the government is yet to be find solutions or fulfilled. But on the occasion of the New Year, what the people are looking forward to is a new citizen centric prospects and plans of the new government for escalating the pace of development in Manipur in all spheres.

Let's just take those unwanted occasions and unjustified conducts of the previous but same government as the uncouth fruit of winter and hope for a new and better beginning with all the aspiring and pleasant warmth of a new spring season.

It is also a humble request or rather a demand to the new government to work for the bright and better future of the state. But time only will tell what we are going to reap from the new government when it begins its duties.

It reminds us of the quotation of Robert Underwood Johnson: "They know who keep a broken tryst; till something from the spring be missed, we have not truly known the Spring".