A sensible call
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: August 08, 2023 -

LIFE for everyone living in the tiny north-eastern state of Manipur has never been the same after the ATSUM-sponsored 'Tribal Solidarity March' taken out in the hill areas on May 3 against the order of the High Court of Manipur to the state government for sending recommendation to the centre for inclusion of Meetei-Meitei community in the list of Scheduled Tribes under the Constitution of India.

The senseless violence of targeting the people of Meetei-Meitei community and burning down their houses by some militant elements from among the Kuki-Chin community that first started in Churachandpur and soon spread to Kuki-Chin dominated Kangpokpi and Moreh after the 'Tribal Solidarity March' ended peacefully in other hill areas has cast a long shadow of gloom over the entire state today.

With daily incidents of killing and burning down houses, there has been no let-up in the violent confrontation between the two warring communities, thus, causing untold miseries to people of all communities regardless of where they live and take stand on the current crisis.

Invoking Article 355 of the Constitution of the country to facilitate deployment of large number of central security forces for containing the situation and the repeated assurances given by the governments both in the state and at the centre that everything possible is being done to restore peace and normalcy in the state has not brought any relief to the already hard-pressed people in this resource-starved state.

So far, hundreds of precious human lives have been lost, public and private properties reduced to ashes and thousands of families displaced from their homes and hearths, forcing them to seek shelter in relief camps that have been set up across the length and breadth of the state and beyond.

Yet, no one knows when this violent confrontation would end. There is no sign of the proverbial light at the end of a dark tunnel.

However, with each passing day, it is becoming evidently clear that more than the diametrically opposite stand-points that the two warring communities are sticking to, lack of political will power on the part of the elected representatives in the state and lackadaisical attitude of the leaders in New Delhi towards resolving the issue at hand with the seriousness it deserves is at the core of prolonging the conflict that would ultimately cost dear to all.

While the elected representatives in the state seem to have abdicated their duties and responsibilities of ensuring the safety and security of the people who elevated them to their present position, the central leaders are looking at the current humanitarian crisis in Manipur as an opportunity to belittle each other with an attempt to score some brownie political points against each other.

Moreover, with their holier than thou attitude, leaders of the civil society organisations on either side of the clash divide are doing nothing precious for putting out the fire that is slowly engulfing the entire state, other than fuelling it with their inflammatory speeches and dictating terms.

Amidst this suffocating atmosphere, the call of CPI National Secretary Pallab Sengupta to elected members of all political parties in the state to take part in the upcoming Assembly session without any condition and initiate dialogue and reconciliation process to bring peace has come like a breath of fresh air.

The CPI leader has also made it clear that the State Assembly is the only place where all parties can hold discussion to bring about a solution, and most importantly, now is not the time to ask who has killed who and how but all should ask how peace and normalcy could be restored in Manipur. Any taker?