2.3 Manipuris have been virtually burning with anger, shame and anguish since Manorama's dead body was found on July 11, allegedly raped and killed by the Assam rifles personnel. This is now an old story. There were responses ranging from understanding concerns from sections of the Indian media to cold, laconic, indifferent remarks from the ruling 'raj' in Delhi.

But India being one of the largest democracies in the world, the moot point is: has there been any democratic attempt from the central (no need to mention the state government, as it is just an 'outpost' of the Delhi democracy) government to redress the Manipuri peoples' grievances?

A lady in the prime of youth is picked by an all-male force in the wee hours of the morning, tortured in front of her family members, and then whisked away, and later allegedly raped and murdered. The 'unfortunate' lady's name was Manorama and she was 32. A happy dream snuffed in mid-sleep.

Her worst crime: being born in a doggone land called Manipur-ruled by Delhi though its political 'outpost' manned by self-seeking, corrupt, spineless politicians who cannot raise their own voices-even meek ones- except singing 'their masters' voice' recorded in Delhi.

Manorama episode is the culmination of years of taking the people for a ride by the reckless local politicians, cushy 'Doordarshan' solutions through 'remote control' of the North East's problems by the centre, and compounded by the chronic indifference, inertia, ignorance and neglect of the region's genuine problems by the media persons, academicians and intellectuals of the country (including those of Manipur and the North East).

So many warnings went unheeded before Manorama came. There were Heirangoithong killings in 1984 by the CRPF, RIMS killings again by CRPF in 1995, Sanamacha disappearance case, several other rape and 'missing' cases, then the Nambol killings by the Assam Rifles in 1998. None of the culprits were, as far as I know, booked and punished for their heinous crimes. People revolted off and on, local politicians ran to their bosses in Delhi, some clandestine dealings made and the matter quickly relegated to the dustbins of history. And, in most of these cases, the mainstream media, intelligentsia, and academia remained just the mute spectators. And, we still proudly claim that India is the biggest democracy.

Indian politics, as it stands today, seems to be just a numbers game. Suppose, just suppose for a minute, that Manipur's population is 2.3 crores instead of millions and the number of Manipur MPs in Lok Sabha is 22 instead of 2, would the centre have easily dismissed the rumblings in distant Manipur and othere states of NE as some 'aberration' to be coerced into silence by political scheming or, at the most, devise some hurriedly cooked 'last minute cosmetic' solutions as the centre has always done in Manipur and most other North Eastern states?

In the present Manorama episode, no VVIP in Delhi darbar has yet deemed it fit to visit the bereaved family of Manorama who has still refused to perform her last hindu rites till the AFSPA is lifted. If Manipur's population were 2.3 crores, would these same political masters behaved so arrogantly. India could do well with less of these politicians who are so eloquent in their arrogance!

But then, as an afterthought, are numbers the only things that matter even in a democracy? If so, can anyone explain how 2 Manipuris figure in the 75-strong Indian contingent for the Athens Olympics? Or, for that matter, Dingko Singh or Tomba, Bijen, Renedy and many other Manipuri players in elite Indian football clubs? Stretching the argument further, can anybody imagine any Manipuri scientist getting a Nobel Prize in the next 10 years? But can it be ruled out in the next 20/50/100... years, purely on 'number theory'?

It will be well for the Centre and the Nation to remember that, for the present Indian polity Manipur may be just 2 MPs strong but for us 'children of a lesser god-Indians' in Manipur, Manipur is 2.3 million dreams envisaging a new vision of Manipur in synchrony with that of a new vision of India, if possible, or out of synch, if not! And, for us, any life meaninglessly cut short is one dream less towards that new vision of Manipur and also India.

Manorama , we shed genuine tears for you and we, the common people of Manipur, do not need the centre's permission for this, unlike our 'great' political heroes who has to run to Delhi for every trivial matter. To hell with our false leaders, the common people of Manipur are with you, dear Manorama. You will be remembered as long as even a single heart 'beats' for our unfortunate Manipur. Let the centre shed tears for you or not, who bothers? For tears (and other genuine human sentiments), it makes no difference whe ther the eye shedding it is in the centre or the periphery! Or, does it?

Let us pray that a time comes when our local politicians can 'own' their own decisions and the centre can also 'own' their own people, even maybe of a 'lesser breed', in the god-forsaken North East.

Jai Manipur. Jai North East. Jai Hind.