A case of Nero fiddled while Rome burnt ? Manipur is burning
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: May 29, 2023 -

May not exactly be a case of ‘Rome burnt while Nero fiddled’ but twist this a little and the line ‘Manipur burnt, while the Government of the day talked big’ may well fit the present scenario.

May 3, that was the day Manipur went up in flames and fast forward to May 28 and the State is just gearing up to receive the Union Home Minister, while the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is felt more by his silence and seeming ‘indifference’ than anything concrete that has been taken up.

Delhi is being referred to here, because the situation in Manipur is today more than just a law and order problem for it has taken a dimension, which transcends the line ‘law and order problem’.

And the line, ‘Manipur has a good number of well trained police personnel (phajanna train touraba police personnel matik chana lei)’ sounds like hot air given the fact that ever since violence broke out on May 3, it has been left to the villagers to ‘defend’ their land and belongings.

If Manipur has enough well trained police personnel then where are they ?

Even as this grandiose announcement was made before the press at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat, came reports of stand off amid sounds of gun fire and bomb explosions from the eastern side of Yaingangpokpi, at Serou side, at Phayeng etc claiming the lives of at least 9 people, including two policemen.

This is about May 28, that is a full 25 days after violence erupted on May 3 and in between there have been numerous reports of villages at the foothills coming under heavy firing from the hill slopes and one wonders where all those well trained policemen were.

Where have the guns come from ?

Union Home Minister Amit Shah is understood to have told the State Government that all arms snatched from different police stations and police outposts ever since the violence erupted should be recovered and while the stand of the Home Minister is acknowledged one wonders why no questions have been raised on the people firing at the villages located at the foothills.

This is where the finger of accusation being pointed to SoO cadres becomes relevant, afterall who are those engaging the Assam Rifles (one personnel has already passed away after receiving a bullet wound), police commandos and other law enforcing agencies in gun fights ?

Or is it a case of the common folks having the expertise to engage well trained personnel in a series of gun fights ? The answer should be obvious to all.

The utter failure of the Government to rein in the situation is writ large on every bullet that is fired, every single house or dwelling place that goes up in flames, every single displaced person, every single individual killed in the madness that has gripped the State since the evening of May 3.

What is the case that Imphal has prepared to present to the Union Home Minister when he arrives on a three day visit on May 29 ?

How about the different civil society organisations ?

There will obviously be contrasting tales that Amit Shah will hear.

The account that he receives from Churachandpur and Kangpokpi will be vastly different from the one that he will receive from Imphal.

In between will be the account from the State Government.

How well prepared is the State Government with the account that is going to be presented to the Union Home Minister ?

These are all important points that have been raised earlier in this very column, but this is a sort of a reminder to all who matter.

This is not the time to act nonchalant and brusquely brush aside any suggestion that may come from the MLAs and the civil society organisations.

In short the Government cannot be a one man army and good counsel is what is needed, not the nods and ayes from the yes men.

Manipur cannot be caught fiddling while the State burns.

For starters, put across the need to abrogate the SoO pact and to do this one would need to present a water tight case and not some slip shod preparation.

The State Government should also put it down in clear cut terms that the people do not trust the neutrality of the Central armed forces in the present conflict and this should be submitted with factual accounts.