From top to bottom – Mantra to keep Home in order–
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: April 11, 2012 -

Regardless of what some political observers may have tried to shed light on the 'political significance' of relieving Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh of the Home portfolio and giving it to Gaikhangam with the reported active role of Union Home Minister P Chidambaram in the portfolio allocation, the fact still remains that Home is one of the most crucial portfolios in Manipur politics which most preceding Chief Ministers who were well aware of political exigency never willingly give up.

With numerous underground organizations actively operating in the field and the different groups of people settling here taking more pleasure over nurturing mutual distrust rather than extending their hands to each other, volatile law and order situation plaguing Manipur has always remained a problem, posing a seemingly insurmountable challenge to any Minister holding the charge of Home.

In fact, after Irengbam Tompok Singh, who was made the Home Minister during the Chief Ministership of Rishang Keishing, this is the second time in the political history of Manipur that a Chief Minister has given up the Home Department to a Minister.

So, the task before Gaikhangam is a daunting one, especially in the light of recent spate of incidents where many personnel of state police forces have been found involved in crimes, ranging from rape to abduction and extortion, etc.

Myriad other issues waiting to be exploded like the demand for creation of Sadar Hills and Jiribam sub-divisions into full-fledged districts and the cry of the Nagas for 'alternative arrangement' may be put on halt, as it is the wont of state government to put off demands, but the new Home Minister has to make a haste in cleaning the rot within his 'Home'.

Understandably, soon after taking over the charge of Home, Gaikhangam spelled out his priority over streamlining the police department in an effort to make the state police more people-friendly.

Since then, the new Home Minister has been leaving no occasion from reaffirming his commitment to the cause. Interacting with editors of local newspapers at Congress Bhawan yesterday (April 9), the Home Minister admitted that rot within his 'Home' and expressed serious concern over involvement of some state security personnel in crimes and other anti-social activities.

Along with declaring that the state government would not spare any guilty security personnel, the Home Minister also assured that necessary legal actions would be initiated for awarding befitting punishment in accordance to the law of the law.

Coming from the mouth of a newly appointed Home Minister, who has taken the vow of streamlining the police department, such tough talks are encouraging to hear.

However, the contention of the Home Minister, in another function at the same venue and on the same day, that those security personnel who did not receive proper schooling are behind such unwanted activities sounds nothing but nonsensical, to say the least.

How come such 'half-literate' personnel have been recruited in the 'elite' state police department? Mr Home Minister definitely owns an answer to this.