Impact of Manipuri Scholar on the innocent lives of Manipur?

Yasin Khan *

Candle Light Vigil in solidarity with Irom Sharmila at the Plaza, Sector 17, Chandigarh :: Nov 10 2012
Pix - Manipur Students' Association, Chandigarh (MSAC)

Even if Arm Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA) is not a question of their research work it is clearly seen either from their writings and peer discussion that much of the extra time of their priority task is focused in AFSPA. I am not saying anything bad or good on AFSPA. I have the clear I idea that AFSPA is not the only thing that will bring smile on the faces of Manipuries living in Manipur.

There are many issues that we confront on everyday basis if we live in Manipur. And when we get out of Manipur we forget these issues we confronted directly and dominated by the national issues called AFSPA. It is my rational that solving the problem that we confront directly is the priority rather than the indirect one, AFSPA with the fact that AFSPA is not the causal factor of those issues we confronted directly.

It is also good to keep in mind that focus of scholars in AFSPA is one of the greatest opportunities for the ruling politicians to loot the state. It's like giving the task of straightening the dog's tail to the Ghost that if the task finishes the Master will be killed by the ghost. Here the Ghost is the scholars while Master is the State, Manipur.

I would say that the issue of Manipur is not AFSPA. The issue of Manipur is Law and Governance. You are never thinking you are in Delhi with the money borrowed from relatives in many instances and you are breaking your head in AFSPA. You are never thinking why your mom and dad is not getting salary for many months because of which they borrowed money and send for you. From now you can start your research on 'why my mom and dad are not getting salary in time?'

You make your ego thinking you are in Delhi and in Manipur your school friends are not getting the same quality of education you are getting in Delhi. Instead of this ego, why not you start your research on 'why my school friends in Manipur not getting the same quality of education you are getting in Delhi?'

Even if you are rich enough to go to Delhi and do education in Delhi University you submit that your family is poor enough that you yourself or your brother can't afford a job in Manipur Government. Instead of the directly-unproductive issue called AFSPA or similar why not you start your research on 'why my brother is not getting job when he has the qualification for it'?

When you are in Delhi you sought like anything when there is a power cut of one hour. But if you go back to your lovely homeland Manipur you really happy when you get power for one hour in night before/while dinner. What is this you're rationale that does not need light in Manipur? Is this the result of your education in Delhi?

Why not you start your research on 'why our Manipur is not getting power as much as you get in your room in Delhi' or in a focus way, you might have the similar experience if you lived in rent in Imphal before going to Delhi. In Imphal you get almost the same hour of power like in Delhi and when you go back to your village you have dinner early, no study and get into bed for having forceful sleep on account of powerless. Why don't you starts your research on ''how to make your village luminous as much as that of Rental room Imphal'?

You might have really worried if your mom or your sister-in-law gets mature the pregnancy and there is no time you can say exactly when it will get deliver and if happens what will happen because your family do not have much money to admit her in hospital advance. Why don't you know your village has a hospital? Yes, your ignorance is justified in short time. But why don't you think to research on 'why your village hospital is not hospitable' as your research question?

When you go back to your village from Delhi you clearly see that your neighbouring/ village Pradhan (Panchayati Raj System) is becoming millionaire without any transparent legitimate reason. You clearly see that your brothers and sisters in your family and neighbours are unemployed. And you also clearly know about MGNREGA. Then, why don't you question and start your research to fulfil your quest and bring an equitable and equal society in your village?

You are in Delhi with the money earned by your mom in Manipur doing the livelihood of vendorship in the market on daily basis. You clearly know that when there is one day Bandh or strike your mom's income is stopped. You clearly know that five day Bandh/strike is the amount of the multiplication of one day's income and five day that your mom will not get.

You clearly know your mom borrow money in order to fill up this financial gap and how tense she might have to do this. Then, why not you start your research on 'why there is Band and why your mom does not get income for five days and how to fix it'? Why not someone come up a new policy to curb this issue?

If you come back to Manipur during vacations and before going to Delhi you clearly see that in your village there are many poor children who cannot afford private schools. And you also clearly seen many primary school without Mid-Day Meal and many stuffs which the students are supposed to get but do not get in many schools in Manipur.

In addition you clearly know poor children goes to government school and cannot ripe the fruit of education and hence they fall back to the vicious cycle of poor. Then, why not you start your research on 'why children going to government school are less talent that those going to private schools or, why government schools perform far less than private schools or their infrastructure, why students do not get the material they are entitled to get in the school and so on as your research question.

These are just few emotionally hinting areas of issues in Manipur for research for social cause that how research scholars can make direct impact. The impact of scholars (research) is hottest question for the last couple of years in India. If the state or state employed staffs are not performing at the desire level then who is going to look into that?

For example, if the scholars in Manipur University are not showing desire output and outcome which may directly or indirectly impact the society then what is the significance of scholars in the society? These seems universal causal effect of education to development is not valid with this kind of scenario.

I understand my points are more of activism research rather than academic. Even though it depends on what you interest to research on either for an academic degree or for a social change, but the thing here I want to mean is that even if you do for social change you should get your similar academic degree in return.

The challenge with the latter is more of field engagement which our Indian education system does not yet in favour while in campus but does not mean impossible rather than some constraints. I have the faith that if we take some pain we will definitely gain something positive in return to our effort.