Towards optimistic ideology
- Imphal Times Editorial :: February 27 2019 -

The rather unfortunate and undesirable turn of events in the state has left the public the worse for the wear.

And to put it bluntly, things are set to turn for the worse, going by the looks of it.

The naive public has been taken for a ride by various groups with vested interests who surprisingly are slowly uncovering the thin veil that were masking their myopic agenda by themselves.

What is surprising is the amount of blind trust and irrational support that the public has accorded these self-serving and self-professed misleaders of the expectant mass, even after the state government has categorically declared that its decisions will not harm or infringe on the interests or resources of any individual or group.

Though we would like to hope otherwise, perhaps the people in the state have yet to experience the darkest hour as a collective society before realization sets in, albeit at a cost everyone of us are neither willing nor able to afford.

Perhaps a rigorous churning of the society is what is required for the easily excitable and often misdirected public to come to its senses- that the real power to make ourselves better lies not with those who wield power and influence, but within ourselves.

But to come to such a state of enlightenment, we need to look inward, to introspect with detachment, without the mirage of our egos which has been the greatest drawback to shedding our baseless pride and narrow views.

We need to realize that the greatest enemy to our own happiness and contentment is ourselves.

What could be the basis of the fear psychosis consuming the minds of the people in the hills of Manipur which made them to overlook the grim realities of the past to forge alliances with the declared aim of battling an illusionary foe?

Since when have we started considering anyone or any group casting even a shadow of doubt on our unhindered flights of fantasy as our arch enemies?

Do we not wish to have friends who make us see our mistakes and shortcomings without mincing words rather than people who offer us lavish praise and spoil us only to further their personal gain?

Do we reject friends who points out our mistakes because it might make annoy us?

Are we intellectually so weak that we believe every misinterpretations and rumours, especially those which concerns our belongings and pride without feeling the need to find out the truth?

Our life, or our society for that matter, is what we make of it.

We need to inculcate the habit of finding out the facts before drawing conclusions and passing judgments.

We need to exercise restraint and communicate better.

But above all, everyone of us need to develop empathy and a rational approach.

If we are as concerned about our roots as we portray to be, we should be trying to leave a better world for our children.

The only way that can be done is by showing them by example the ideals and values we want them to imbibe, and we would not certainly want them to indulge in mindless violence with a herd-mentality.