Creating the wrong impression : Imphal-Ukhrul road bandh
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: July 29 2015 -

Creating the wrong impression. Growing need to step clear of this.

All the more reason why the demand for an effective legislation to protect the local people should not create any wrong impression.

The primary point should not be forgotten.

It is for the well being and even the survival of the local people and no room should be created to give rise to the impression that it is against any particular community.

An important point which the Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System (JCILPS) should not lose sight of.

The same applies too to the JAC formed against the killing of young student Sapam Robinhood in police action on July 8.

As in any mass movement, stretching over a period of time, it may not be possible to keep an eye on all the activities of the protesters, but when there are any ugly points that stand out prominently then it is time to act.

This is important for many reasons.

In the first place, it is important that the present movement does not veer off from the stated objective.

The movement is for the protection of the local people and is not against anyone.

And when one talks about the local people, it means all indigenous people with no divide such as the hill and the valley.

This is what makes the protest movement all that more sensitive and all care should be taken to ensure that it is not misinterpreted.

The July 28 clash between two groups of people at Tellipati is a case in point.

Unfortunate it was and it has all the ingredients of being blown out of proportion.

This is what the people should be on guard against. This is not all.

If care is not taken, then there is also the big possibility of the movement creating misunderstanding among different communities.

The joint statement issued by the Tangkhul Katamnao Long, Imphal and Imphal Tangkhul Shanao Long should give an indication of how misunderstanding can crop up if proper care is not taken.

As the two Tangkhul organisations rightfully pointed out, it makes no sense to impose the Imphal-Ukhrul road bandh.

The JAC formed in connection with the death of Sapam Robinhood certainly has all the reasons to feel peeved and wronged but does it actually serve any purpose to christen a road bandh as Imphal-Ukhrul road bandh ?

True the movement of people from Imphal to Ukhrul will be disrupted whenever there is a road bandh along Dingku road or at Khurai., but instead of Imphal-Ukhrul road bandh, why not term it as Dingku road bandh or Khurai bandh, as and when the bandh is imposed ?

Why call it Imphal-Ukhrul road bandh ?

It may just be a name given to a bandh, but if care is not applied, this can certainly give rise to misunderstanding and the joint statement issued by the two Tangkhul organisations stresses home this point.

The present protest movement is to pile the pressure on the Government and is not against any particular community.

This is the bottomline.

As the body spearheading the protest movement, it is only right that the JCILPS do something to educate the mass on how to go about with the movement.

Makes absolutely no sense in taking up any course of action, which will give rise to misunderstanding amongst the people.

Along with the pressure mounted on the Government it is also important to ensure that no rooms are created for anyone to sow seeds of suspicion.