Food for thought from a veteran journalist : No water, no fuel, but plenty of liquor
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: April 29 , 2014 -

people faced shortage of fuel as on April 28 2014 :: Pix - TSE

A veteran, he is. Not exactly an active journalist, now, but he has not yet lost his sting and the capability to draw up the analogies when it matters.

If not for anything else read his article submitted to The Sangai Express along side this commentary to describe the present situation besieging Manipur.

The Sangai Express is not given to eulogising freely, but when a good work is done we are more than ready to acknowledge it and give the due recognition that it deserves.

Here in his short write up, he has brought the picture of a failed Government in all its ugly manifestation.

A dry State, that is a State where the sale and consumption of alcohol is strictly prohibited, but look at the reality and it would only take a fool not to see that alcohol of all types and makes are available, of course at a price.

So from the up market single malt Scotch, to the mid-level whisky, to the rum and other Indian Made Foreign Liquor to the locally brewed ones, especially from Sekmai, Andro and Phayeng, all these are available in plenty.

The choice that is available does not fall short when compared to other States where prohibition is not in force.

At the other end of the spectrum, while the Congress party has been crying hoarse on the development works it has taken up in the last ten years here, especially in the run up to the Lok Sabha elections held on April 9 and April 17, the hollowness of it all becomes all that more clear.

Governance is not only about coming up with concrete structures or sweeping the polls, but it goes much beyond this.

As things stand today, when an item (read liquor) which is banned is available abundantly, things which should be made available to the people are not there at all.

There are many reasons for the acute water shortage that the people are reeling under right now, but the lack of will or planning on the side of the Government is palpably clear.

There was more than enough for food in a comment passed by a reader in our web edition, that the very comment of the PHED Minister that he has instructed the officials and others concerned to look for water sources and other means during a Cabinet meeting reeks of a man not doing his home work.

Instead, he should have tabled the report of his officials or department during the Cabinet meeting, was the argument put up by the reader.

This argument does not ring hollow at all.

It is not only water, but also fuel. According to reports received from the authorities of the Indian Oil Corporation, they are not rationing fuel but releasing the needed quota to the oil pumps.

The fact of the matter however is that most of the oil pumps shut shop after opening a few hours in the morning or evening.

If they are receiving the needed quota, as claimed by the IOC, then why are the people left high and dry ?

This also raises the question of what the Government agencies have been doing to check this.

A case of the fuel cartel working hands in gloves with the petrol pump owners with active or covert support from the Government agencies ?

Take the fact that while the petrol pumps run dry after a few hours of opening, the same is available abundantly in the black market.

Mind you there is no highway blockade or bandhs as such at the moment and hence the more reason to raise these questions.

It would not be overstating the fact in saying that the Congress Government here has failed on all fronts. No water and no fuel. How can a Government run like this ?

Read the article submitted by the veteran Mr Yambem Laba alongside and one will get a better idea of what is happening around here.

Sure the Congress has 47 MLAs in the House of 60 and where majority counts, they have all the right to rule.

But come to the governance index and there is nothing to suggest that they have any business to be in the seat of governance.