The Same Old Trick
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: March 07, 2013 -

'It's an old political trick: If you can't convince them, confuse them', is an interesting quote attributed to Harry S Truman, who from being the Vice President went on straight to become the 33rd President of United States of America from 1945 to 1953, following the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Truman reportedly uttered this line in his 1948 election campaign speech wherein he accused the Republicans of misinforming industrial workers and farmers about his Democratic government's farm and labour policies.

So, even if the application of the quote here may be slightly off the mark, but the same 'old political trick' of confusing the people instead of convincing them that the Republicans were accused of using by Truman, seems to be what the Congress-led Government in the State is indulging over the drug smuggling cases which have come to light one after the other.

Even as the public anger over the alleged attempt of the State administrative to protect the actual owner of the drugs seized from Imphal Tulihal Airport was yet to die down, two similar cases of drug seizure at Mantripukhri and Pallel came about in such quick succession that the people are simply left dumbfounded and confused over what the knee-jerk reaction of the State Government.

But luckily, it was the after the Pallel incident in which PRO (Defence Wing) Colonel Ajay Chowdhry and five others including an Assistant Manager (in charge of Security) of IndiGo Airlines were caught red-handed while trying to smuggle out a huge drug consignment worth more than Rs 15 crores into Myanmar, and the subsequent arrest of a son of a senior sitting Congress Legislator that the State Government could no longer keep its eyes, ears and mouth shut tightly over the engulfing drug issue.

In the face of intense public protest and pressure, the State Government finally decided that the case of drug seizure from the Airport would be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for necessary probe to clear the suspicion of the people over possible involvement of other high profile politicians or individuals in the drug smuggling case.

However, after some political parties argued that the service of Central Narcotics Bureau (which actually should be Narcotics Control Bureau) should be roped in instead of CBI for more effective probe, Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam, who also holds the portfolio of Home, came up with the assurance that if the people are not satisfied with the decision of handing over the case to CBI, then the State Government would consider the service of Narcotics Control Bureau after taking up the matter for discussion in a meeting of the State Cabinet.

A day after this, Director General of Police (DGP) Y Joykumar announced that the Narcotics Control Bureau would be assisting the State police in the investigation into the Pallel drug haul, reasoning that the State Police personnel are not well-trained enough for investigation into drug related cases and Narcotics Control Bureau could take over the case altogether since there are rules forbidding the agency from taking up any drug cases where it had not involved from the beginning.

As if all these 'old political tricks' weren't enough to confuse the people, the State Cabinet announced its decision on March 4 to hand over the case of Pallel drug seizure to CBI. But a day after this, media report said that anti-narcotic sleuths from Narcotics Control Bureau are already in city to join the probe into the biggest drug haul at Pallel.

So, what is happening here? Who is going to handle which case?

And why this craze for handing over every case that gives a headache to the State Government to the CBI, whose credibility has been questioned from various quarters of late?

By the way, is there any cases related to Manipur in which the CBI had showed its credibility apart from giving some respite to the State Government from its headache?

Perhaps, honourable Home Minister can answer to this.