Consonance and dissonance
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: January 11, 2024 -

CONTRARY to what his critics may probably pooh-pooh as yet another attempt to deflect from the main issue at hand, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh seems to have hit the right chord with every full-blooded indigenous people living in the northeastern Indian state when he minced no words in pointing out that there were several bureaucrat officers with parochial and ethnocentric mentality, who did not work as an Indian or a Manipuri but in the interest of their own community, and it was these officers who ignited the present crisis in the state with their communal strategies and activities that were carried put during their respective times.

On Tuesday, speaking at the commemoration of 190th death anniversary of Maharaj Gambhir Singh, who played a pivotal role in driving out the marauding Burmese invaders from the soil of Manipur and put an end to the infamous reign of terror, popularly known as the "Chahi Taret Khuntakpa" (The Seven Years' Devastation/1819-1825) in the history of the land; Biren even went to the extent of mentioning the names of one former chief secretary and a former additional chief secretary, who gave recognition to new villages or allotted residential plots in reserved forest areas during their respective service tenures despite the fact that the state government cannot grant permission for human settlement or setting up new villages in designated reserved forest areas without the approval of the Central government.

Reiterating his resolve of continuing to fight against the problems of drug menace, deforestation, illegal poppy cultivation, illegal encroachment, and illegal immigrants for securing the future of Manipur and its people, Biren had even dared to resign from his post of Chief Minister, which he could enjoy for another two terms without taking any risk as his government has the support of 54 MLAs, if anyone could furnish any evidence of him indulging in activities which are unconstitutional or prejudicial.

However, the rising crescendo of Chief Minister N Biren Singh's patriotism and impassioned appeal to the people to think over and understand whose loss it would have been if his government had not taken up the war on drugs and launched drives against illegal poppy plantations and encroachment in reserved forest areas appears to have struck a discordant note.

It is still beyond the understanding of the same full-blooded indigenous people living in Manipur, who have been enduring the aggression of armed Kuki militants for more than eight months now, why his government has not been able to take necessary action against the 10 elected representatives of the Kuki-Chin people including two ministers who are raising the demand for a separate administration.

To win the trust and confidence of the people, the Chief Minister needs to understand the importance of keeping his house in order.

When his own party MLAs and ministers are hell bent on breaking apart the territorial integrity of Manipur that had been safeguarded by the forefathers of the land with their blood and sweat, talking of some departed bureaucrat officers with parochial and ethnocentric mentality who did not work as an Indian or a Manipuri but in the interest of their own community and to say that the communal strategies and activities that were carried out during their respective times have led to the present ethnic conflict between the Meitei/Meetei and Kuki-Chin people does not make any sense, nor it is going to help in restoring peace and normalcy in the state.

Just as the Chief Minister claimed to have taken his own son to jail for the wrong his son did and that he still has the same spirit of standing up for the truth and justice, holding his party MLAs and ministers accountable for their wayward actions would go a long way in strengthening the government and cementing the trust of the people.