Taking Cabinet meetings to the hill dists : From Jul 14, 2017 to Dec 9, 2020
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: December 10 2020 -

From Churachandpur on July 14, 2017, to Senapati on December 9, 2020, the BJP led Government at Imphal looks to be looking to give, substance and meaning to its Go to Hills slogan.

Cabinet meetings at the headquarters of the hill districts and from July 14, 2017 to December 9, 2020, the BJP led Government has crisscrossed the headquarters of all the hill districts with Cabinet meetings and this would have gone down well with the people of the hills.

A good departure from the earlier Congress Government here, which just did not seem to see eye to eye with the people of the hills, particularly the Naga people led by the United Naga Council.

And so it is that Manipur has seen Cabinet meetings held at Ukhrul, Churachandpur, Chandel, Kangpokpi and Tamenglong so far and the natural question that follows is whether taking Cabinet meetings to the hills have translated into development of the hill districts or not.

Maybe time is the best parameter to answer this question, but it is significant to note that the Government has already gone ahead and constructed 'Ima markets' or all women markets at Ukhrul, Churachandpur, Kangpokpi, Chandel, Senapati and Tamenglong.

This would have gone down well with not only womenfolk of the hill districts but all the people.

Significantly these markets will also complement the Ima Keithel at Imphal.

Taking Cabinet meetings to the hill district headquarters should also serve a purpose other than development and should help bring all closer to the geo-political reality called Manipur.

The Cabinet meeting held at Senapati district headquarters on December 9 also complemented the scheduled inauguration of eight projects there.

The heart and soul of Manipur lie in both the hills and the valley and this is a fact that should be acknowledged by all.

The Government is doing its bit by reaching out to the hills and it is only right that such a gesture is reciprocated equally by the people.

Take the hills away and Manipur would be a dismembered entity. Take the valley away and it is the same.

Questions may well be raised on why Manipur should be understood as the hills and the valley and why not as one single entity.

Why should there be something called hill-valley is another question that may well be raised.

These are questions which should bother the thought process of everyone and it should not be left only to the Government.

Are the people of say Ukhrul closer to the people of Imphal or Kohima?

And by closer one here is not talking about geographical proximity but about emotional and historical ties.

This is a point that was sought to be underlined by titular King of Manipur and Rajya Sabha MP Leishemba Sanajaoba during his recent visit to Ukhrul.

The State Government has taken the lead in reaching out to the people of the hills and it is only right that more people to people contact is established.

Let there be more meaningful interactions between the people and let them go beyond the slogan, Ching-Tam Amattani.

This slogan would have no meaning if there are no sincere attempts to reach out to each other.