Mishandling public
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: December 28, 2010 -

It is human nature to take advantages. In Manipur where frequent bandhs are imposed by various organizations to press the state government to fulfill their demands, many invested interests take advantage of this trend and resort to calling bandhs for their selfish benefits.

The 48 hour bandh called by the Joint Action Committee of Die-in-Hardness Scheme commencing on January 7, 2011 is one such example. The threat to call the bandh has evinced no public interest.

The bandh is being called for the benefit of 55 people who are demanding appointment orders. In reality, they are trying to bargain the public with their job interests.

They might have been hurt by the government's failure to address to their problems but this in itself does not justify calling a bandh. This is a kind of challenge to the public knowing fully well that what they are planning is not in the public interest.

Every right thinking individual will know this.

Manipur has been experiencing huge economic losses due to frequent bandhs, strikes and blockades. The state has witnessed 628 bandhs and blockades during the last 15 years, ie from 1995 till June 2010, causing a huge loss to the tune of ' 2828 crore to the state exchequer.

Despite the huge loss experienced by the state, the government has failed to take up measures to control vested interests from taking advantage of the government's weakness in the effective enforcement of Manipur Essential Service Maintenance Act, 1984.

Numerous organizations in the state keep calling bandhs and blockades. They may be students' organizations, JACs, political parties, trade unions, underground groups etc.

Their demands range from purely localized issues to political, religious and administrative matters. Yet the government has no definite policy to recoup losses arising from such agitations.

In 2008, government issued a notification to recover losses incurred due to bandhs and blockades from the bodies responsible for enforcing them. Nothing has come out of it.

We are of the opinion that because of the weakness of the government bandhs and economic blockade, etc. are being using as tools to fulfill narrow demands.

In this situation, if the government fails to take up long term measures to prevent bandhs, strikes etc, the socio-economic condition of the state will deteriorate and though the impact may not be felt today, soon people will feel the burden and cry hoarse as neighbouring states leave behind the state in development and progress.