Dispelling the 'Oiraroi' myth :: Small, significant step
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: January 14, 2012 -

It was not in hundreds. The meeting venue was anything but crowded.

But it was significant. If at all there is the need to discard the notion of numbers judging everything then the time is now. On January 13, a group of citizens, extremely concerned with the failure to address the numerous issues confronting the people and the State, despite the continuing presence of a popularly elected Government in all these decades, interspersed with spells of President's Rule, took out a rally from Kwakeithel bazar to Keishampat and wound it up with a public meeting.

It was not a mega event, as understood in the turn out of the participants nor was it bombastic in playing to the gallery, but it was extremely significant. Organised by the People's Campaign for Assembly Election, 2012 there was a one point agenda of the rally and the meeting that followed-dispel the 'Yararoi' and 'Oiraroi' myth that has crippled the senses of the people and given birth to the large scale culture of resigning to one's fate even before the first step has been taken.

No battle can be won without taking the first step towards the battle field and this was the message that was conveyed through the rally and the public meeting.

The Friday rally was the first public step towards the 15 years timeline that the PCAEM has given itself to make election more meaningful and take it out of the present realm of the intensely private interests over riding everything that represent the public.

Born of the wedlock of ideas from people coming from diverse fields, PCAEM is a people's campaign, aimed at awakening the public to the reality that in pushing the button on the Electronic Voting Machine, the voters are not sealing the fate of the candidates in the fray but their own fate, at least for the next five years and five years is a pretty long time.

Predicting the future is best left to the professional fortune tellers, whether one believes in them or not, but when we say that Manipur will continue to sink deeper into the abyss of despair and mediocrity if a radical shift in the mindset of the people is not initiated, it would not amount to speculating.

Focusing on issues which have not been addressed all these decades but which nevertheless continue to exact a heavy toll, should ideally be what election time demands. Why has the pathetic power supply situation not figured prominently in the overall election scenario?

Or is this question not important enough to the people?

Why have no questions been raised on the political parties on what their take is on the political scenario kicked up by the armed movement ? What about water supply?

How about the roads, which look and feel more like dirt tracks?

The challenge before the people is huge but not insurmountable. Ever questioned aloud why political parties have continuously failed to address the basic needs and aspirations of the people?

Changes have to be brought in at the time of the election. From the question of how many rupees a candidate is able to dole out or distribute to the each voter, people should start asking what they plan to do for the overall welfare of the land. A radical shift in the mindset of everyone is what is called for.

The PCAEM cannot obviously do it alone.

It can and will sensitise the people to the issues confronting them. Keep them informed. Keep them aware of the going ons.

Only an informed citizenry can raise relevant questions is a given, and to be informed one does not need to pore over volumes and volumes of documents and books.

A sincere recognition of what has been pushed down the throat of the people in name of a popularly elected Government will suffice.

Power supply for two hours in a day of 24 hours?

Large scale militarisation of the place ? Arrogance of the political class?

Frequent disruptions to the free flow of goods and people on the highways?

These are issues which should be raised now.

The first step has been taken and it is now up to all of us to keep it rolling.