When Master Chang Seng Dong the Korean Taekwondo Super Star visited Imphal during the National Games Meet in 1999, few of his senior taekwondo students took him to the Loktak Lake for a sight seeing and joy ride to the country side of Manipur. The Loktak Lake, which was once a pride of the Manipur, had gradually been diminishing its exotic beauty day by day. A lot of unwanted creepers, weeds and Phoomdis (floating vegetation) seemed to have grown all around the Lake and no longer remains a spectacular spot.

The charm of joy ride to the countryside came to an abrupt halt as one army group stopped the vehicle in which Master Chang was traveling. All the persons in the vehicle were asked to get down for checking formalities, which was a regular feature in Manipur. The officer as usual, in his rough hindi accent queried 'Kahase aarahe?' Mr. Chang who was ignorant of the situation in Manipur stunned and enquired what had happened? Before any of his friends could answer, he alighted from the vehicle and walked over to the Army officer who led the team and said inquisitively, Young officer why you are so busy with your gun? In the course of the discussion he felt the barrel of the Ak-47 in a quiet frank manner, which was in the possession of the officer and stared at it in amazement as if he had never seen an AK- 47 before. Mr. Chang can be mistaken as Manipuri or a Naga as far as his look goes. The army officer became furious and a scowl was visible on his face. Had it not been the timely intervention of the Manipuri friends, Master Chang could have experienced something, which he had never expected in Manipur. After having a round of introduction the pleasant looking officer agreed to pause for a photograph with Mater Chang Seng Dong. The young chap in the uniform was not simply an army officer but a gentleman too.

In the normal and general practice of the uniformed personnel, the innocent civilians are always subjected to harassment, humiliation and torture in the name of the counter-insurgency. I, however, came across some highly disciplined forces sometimes during their routine frisking session in other parts of the country, asking in a polite way, bhai jara niche uttariyega, which I humbly complied to and when they found nothing objectionable in my car they would say, Bura mat maaniye yeto hamara pharajhi hogaya. What a beautiful language - this really showcased the well-disciplined Indian forces when they come to deal with the public in the most insurgent- prone area. But such courtesy from the uniformed people comes very few in far between in the Manipur context. There are many insurgent prone states in the country operating in the same vein and degree as it is in the North East but the modus operandi of the uniformed people here found to be much different while observing in other states. I can t think of this kind of distinction among the citizens of the same country?

On the way back to Imphal Master Chang expressed his remark in a little disgusting way why the army seems to be very turbulent in Manipur? And he continued, In Korea armies are the best friends of the people and in true sense safeguarding the interest of the public because they understand that they are under the pay roll of the government through the taxes collected from the public. He might be true as he sees things through the angle of the Korean eyes but the lance may not fit here. Master Chang also had not seen the death shot commandoes in Manipur, who are not less turbulent than any other forces in the world. If he happens to visit Nagaland someday than I will suggest him to call on Mr. Thenucho, Hon'ble Medical Minister who bore a charm life after pitches of bullet attacks in Imphal. Mr. Chang, if he ever listen to what the Minister had to say than he would realize how he returned from the valley of death in Moirang.

There are also untold stories of tears about the innocent public who have been picked up by the uniformed personnel and never returned home. The heart-rending scenes of those mothers who shed tear over the death body of her son whose lives have been put to an end by the bullets of the so-called protectors of the land. The Heirangoithong Genocide and Malom Massacre are all spine chilling experience. When our religion always offer a respectable place for women in our society, yet these seem to contradict as there are many girls whose modesty have been looted time and again by the uniformed personnel would always be there as part of the history. It is unimaginable that people are shot down at the slightest suspicion and many are being dragged out at the death of the night and whisked away to the unknown destination.

The ghost stories, which was a phobia for most of the children in the olden days, have now extinct instead of that a new phobia so to say a new avatar has recaptured the mind of the small ones - that is the stepping sound of the heavy boots in the silent night and knocks on doors in unearthly hours. Everybody knew what an unexpected knock on the door or a sudden screeching halt of a vehicle near the village in the night would bring for them - are all the story of the night raiders with their face veiled and next part of the night is unpredictable for it belonged to them.

However this is just the tip of the iceberg in the continuing violence and crimes in this beautiful land, which the late first Prime Minister of India called from the bottom of his heart "The land of the jewel".

The largest democracy of the world and a free Nation that we proudly claim today came into existence after heavy toll of countless precious lives. After 50 years of glorious independence from the yoke of the British colonialist, the people in Manipur have been taught all afresh how the great Indian Freedom Fighters bore the tortures, ordeal and hardships in the hand of the white. This time we are being reminded and taught by none other then the Indian citizen in uniform with all the practical mechanism in a way we should remember the great heroes long.

It is true Manipur is an insurgent prone State but the innocent public has nothing to do with this. In the decades old insurgency problem many precious lives both from the government and outlawed groups have been lost. But it is getting worse, not better. Any language or concept, which gives importance in the gun culture, always leads to the dooms and its might had never been able to stamp out the unrest among the public.

December in Manipur is the month of festivals and in the same month the International Human Rights Day is being observed throughout the world in the theme that human rights should be respected and protected. This had begun observing since 1998 of the 50th anniversary of the ratification of the universal declaration; people around the globe have started to recognize December 10th as Human Rights Day. To commemorate the Great Observance we the people in Manipur needs to go abreast with the International trend and other law enforcing agencies in Manipur too hopefully extend a helping hand while the people of Manipur attempting to reassuring themselves as the rightful citizen of the country.

This is a simple wish of a denizen. I shall be amply rewarded and proud to be a rightful citizen, if my expression is interpreted in its right perspective.