Game of one upmanship : Nawa Loude syndrome
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: January 08, 2013 -

Sorry. A term or a word which may mean nothing after a mistake or an error has been committed but yet at another level a term which could mean something profound.

The NSCN (IM) has not bothered to say Sorry for the gross misconduct of its cadre, Livingstone Anal, who had the temerity to abuse, assault and molest a film actress in the full public view.

Neither has the perpetrator of the act, Livingstone Anal.

The Film Forum, Manipur and Manipur State Lila Council too have not bothered to say Sorry for the molestation of the minor girl at Napetpalli (remember the molest took place under the excuse of the indefinite bandh imposed by them to protest the Chandel incident) nor for the immense inconveniences caused to people who were stranded midway while they were heading home for Christmas vacation.

The United Naga Council and the Tangkhul Naga Long too have not deemed it fit or proper to denounce and apologise for the murder of a man near Finch Corner in Ukhrul district (again remember, the man was waylaid and assaulted by bandh supporters of the 72 hour bandh call issued by the UNC).

In between the Government too has not acknowledged one bit that all these ugly incidents are nothing less than a stark reminder of how ineffective it has become in addressing sensitive issues and in ensuring the safety and security of the citizens.

Comes dangerously close to a game of one upmanship, characterised by arrogance.

The Nawa Loude syndrome is dangerously real. This mindset not only sucks but is also symptomatic of the gradual erosion of ethics.

It takes character and moral strength to own up moral responsibility and the indifference of the groups concerned to the incidents mentioned above is a clear indication of the moral bankruptcy of the people who have assumed the mantle of taking up a cause or two on behalf of the people.

Sick mentality and what makes it all that more abhorrent is the moral high ground claimed by these set of people.

Not communal, was the line adopted by the bandh enforcers in Imphal and the valley areas during the recent indefinite bandh, but when the mob is allowed to take over and the bandh is seen to be enforced strictly along an agenda which had nothing to do with the original cause, the molest of a film actress in this case here, then the hollowness of such a slogan rings out loud and clear.

Non-violence and democratic was the line adopted by the 72 hours bandh enforcers in the hill areas that came after the indefinite bandh in Imphal and the valley area, and the hollowness of it all lies exposed in the backdrop of vehicles burnt down on the National Highways as well as in the brutal killing of a man on the ground that he had violated the bandh.

This mindset has to be set right.

Sure the organisations behind the two bandhs would not have condoned the acts on the streets, but their silence or the refusal to bear moral responsibility for the ugly incidents that were enacted on the streets and the highways reeks of double standard and nothing else.

In the process the real issue which should have united the people cutting across the ethnic divide became the reason for furthering the division.

The art of scripting a bigger tragedy out of a tragedy seems to have been perfected by some elements and as long as rooms are created for these elements to carry out their agenda then Manipur will continue to plunge into the abyss of despair and hopelessness.