Desperately seeking progress : Time to change mob mindset
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: September 17 2015 -

Difficult to say how many of our readers actually get down to reading what is given in Today’s Thought, which is right on top of this commentary and appears every day, except Sunday.

Today we carry a thought provoking comment made by GB Shaw decades back, which is very significant in a place like Manipur.

Everyone of us want to see changes, changes for the better.

However the important point is, how many of us are actually ready to change our mindset ?

Tough and easy it is to change our mindset, but then important to keep in mind that change is indeed necessary if we are to progress for change is the only mantra for progress.

Cannot afford to remain stuck in a time warp, especially in this age when change or progress is the order of the day.

If there is one aspect of our mindset that needs a thorough overhaul it is to do away with the mob mentality that we see erupting very often.

Mob mentality. Some call it mob justice, but this is misplaced for whenever the mob takes over, there is no sense of justice.

On the contrary it is against the idea of justice.

Granted, people must be fed up with slow processes and the long time it takes for the formal system to deliver justice, but this is about the civilised world, where no one is expected to take the law into his or her own hands.

That mobs have taken over our collective sensibility is there for all to see and experience and it is time for all concerned to seriously see if such a trend has had any positive impact or not.

It is this mentality that manifests itself regularly whenever a rape accused is produced before the Court.

It may be the outpouring of the people’s angst but at the same time it should also be kept in mind that there is something called the justice delivery system.

It is due to the belief and trust in the formal justice delivery system why a hue and cry is raised whenever the police fail to respond positively to any complaints.

It is again this mindset why houses of suspects are burnt down, ransacked and destroyed. This cannot be justice by any stretch of the imagination.

It is again this mindset which has given rise to moral policemen, who do not hesitate to dish out their own brand of justice at the slightest pretext.

If Manipur is to move ahead, then there is the need to change the mob mindset.

Manipur has to change for the place to change and this means that the people have to change.

This should not be too tough provided everyone wants to see a place which can keep up with the fast changing time.

For too long, Manipur has been caught in a time warp and while the Government and those in positions of power may have failed to deliver, it also stands that the people too have failed to realise that they too are responsible for this.

Change the mob mentality. Such a mentality is anathema to the understanding of development and progress.