A Call For Understanding

Ph. Linthoingambi *

Strangers at the street,
by chance two glances meet;
passes each other with odious eyes,
it is the beginning of the end when humanity dies.

People say ignorance is the root of all problems, but can we really apply this to the present situation of Manipur?

I doubt, so many things has happened, so many things are happening and so many things are still expected to happen. Had only these happenings contributed to the development of the state?

Killing of innocent people, fake encounters, extortion, corruption, etc. infects our land, we see our neighbours killed, we see our own people suffer, and despite all these, if we call ourselves ignorant we can say we have reached to the limit of shamelessness. We are aware of what is happening around us, but we are the proud people of Manipur, we heave a sigh of patience, we are never tired of becoming a mere spectator.

It will just be another day like yesterday when innocent people will be killed, we will shout for peace, we will fight for justice but with time our voice will fade; once again time will heal everything. There will be more fake encounters, there will be more homicide in the name patriotism, we will continue to shout and fight, and as usual all will fade in time, with justice not done.

Where as the youths of Manipur? Some are busy dancing to the tunes of modern songs, some are ambitious, centered in achieving their own ends, some few are trying to bring a change but this section is very few. Some people turns their back to their very own motherland stating that situation in Manipur is an impasse, leaving it to decay.

Yes, we are proud to be called human beings we are never at ease until we cut each other's throat. Has humanity come down to such an extent? Why did God give us these grey matters? It has been such a long time that we haven't used it, let's untangle these entwined weaves, make it ready to use it, or is it that we have always used it in a cynical way that it has been blocked?

Then, my dear friends, let's refresh it. Why use these gifts at the expense of our own life? Why should we put our integrity at stake? We are all rational people, we need not be educated to know the truth, need not flip through the pages to define truth, the ability to judge is there in our mind, sagacity is innate in human beings.

Let us break ourselves from the chains of blind faith, let us put into question these very ideas which we consider indubitable. There is no used to blame each other, the majority group, the minority groups, these are all human creations, at the end of the day we are all the same human beings who loves their family and dear ones, who earn their livings.

Why do we blame the communities?
Why blame the Meiteis for not getting proper funds?
Why blame the Tankhuls for some immatured kids throwing stones at buses,
why blame the Kabuis for the act of some few miscreants,
why blame the muslims, so on and so forth.

We are just armless / weaponless civilians who dances at the court of some armed people and politicians. We know the truth, the situation in Manipur is an open book or rather an open secret.

Manipur is not a land only of the Meiteis, Tangkhuls, Kukis, Kabuis, etc., it is our land, and we together form the Manipuris. These obnoxious attitude which threatens our life should be shunned as soon as possible.

Supercilious attitude shows none but shallowness of the mind. Prejudice shows none but the narrowness of the mind. There is no point in indulging in any odious competition with each other, it is not satisfactory to the society by behaving like a black sheep.

The need of the hour is sanity, there is a call for understanding we are all on par stuck in the middle of an impasse. In such a crucial situation, it is an utmost necessity to avert ourselves from the idea 'I am the best'.

We are all ancient people, we are all religious people, no religious preaches hatred and by cutting each other's throat we are being blasphemous.

The problems lies not in others but in our own selves, and the biggest irony is that we know what is good for the society and what will hamper the development but we just don't do the good, when asked 'but why'?, with an air of arrogance, with our head held high, we reply 'it's just not like me'.

The little spark of fire that a stroke of a matchstick produce has the potential of destroying a whole forest, and before we burn ourselves to ashes let us save humanity and ignite the coming generations not with a destructive mind but with something constructive; otherwise when everything is gone, there won't be even a single soul to cry for us.

Everything has got its limit, even miserness has got a limit and we are at the edge, beyond this we have no place to fall other than the ocean of shame when once we come to the shore life without dignity awaits.

So many unwanted things has happened in the past, and we are at present still creating unwanted past for the future. Let us not be led by these unwanted past, atleast for those who realize it, let us fight for peace and of course prosperity for our state. It pains the heart to see our own people contributing to the destruction of our own land.

No society is perfect, it is normal to have inconsistencies, what will befall us, let us leave it to the hands of the almighty but as a responsible rational people let us unite and give no heed to these sheer distinction of caste and creed and perform our duties (including moral duties).

Let us stop to be dancers at the tune of some few, let us shun to do unwanted things atleast not at the expense of our integrity. I would like to end my paper with the following notes:

Let not tomorrow be just another day like yesterday,
Let us not be a mere spectator.
Every steps should be taken from today,
We are the youths,
we are the future,
It is our job to wake the people from their sweet slumber

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* Ph. Linthoingambi (of Delhi University) contributes to e-pao.net regularly . The writer can be contacted at lins_garden(at)yahoo(dot)co(dot)in
This article was webcasted on July 21st, 2009.

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