Surrounding the truth by a body guard of lies : Dangerous, mischievous double speak
- Sangai Express Editorial :: December 19 , 2013 -

Fencing along Indo-Myanmar border on Dec 7 2013 :: Pix - Deepak Oinam

"Not an inch of land to be ceded to the neighbouring country", read Myanmar.

This was Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to the all political party team led by Chief Minister O Ibobi during a meeting at Delhi on December 4.

"Instructions issued to suspend the border fencing work, till a joint survey comprising of officials from India and Myanmar is conducted".

This was the Union Home Minister Shushil Kumar Shinde to the same all political party delegates in Delhi during the same sojourn.

"No such instructions have been received so far. No report has come." This was a high ranking, responsible officer closely associated with the border fencing work while speaking to The Sangai Express on December 17.

"Border fencing work still on." This was the chief of Govajang village, whose village stands to be bifurcated into two with one side falling within the territory of Manipur or India and the other side going to Myanmar.

Confusing it certainly is, but the lead story carried by The Sangai Express in the December 18 edition under the caption, 'A bluff or a breakdown in communication ? TSE brings the other side of the story of MHA's notice to suspend border fencing' was not something plucked from thin air.

The story was based on a two line statement from a high ranking, responsible officer, closely associated with the border fencing work, who unhesitatingly admitted that the work is still going on and underlined his point in two lines-"No such instructions have been received so far. No report has come."

Read this against purported instructions issued by the Union Home Minister to suspend the border fencing work and things should be clear.

Back this up with the statement of the chief of Govajang village and it should also be clear that someone, somewhere is fibbing, maybe to calm frayed nerves.

But fibbing and pulling a fast one with a twist of the tongue can only serve its purpose for a limited period, for ultimately the truth will one day or the other come out on the public domain.

Or are there people, holding responsible positions, who believe in the line of 'The truth is so precious, it should be surrounded by a body guard of lies ?'.

As a responsible newspaper, The Sangai Express has done its bit in exposing what is actually happening at the border area and focus should now shift to what the State Government intends to do.

Did the Union Home Ministry take the all political party team for a ride, is a question that should be raised at the highest level and that too from a position of strength.

Depute a team, invite the media, which is a neutral body and see what is exactly going on there, is our suggestion.

The Sangai Express has already published two lead stories on the border fencing on two consecutive days and the two stories were not an exercise in shooting in the dark, but based on inputs from the ground level, including a Government officer and a village chief.

This is not the time to beat around the bush but to come face to face with the truth and deal with it accordingly.

Mark our words. More than the apprehension that the border fencing would lead to Manipur losing chunks of her land, it is the double speak that will add to the angst of the people.

Playing with words or giving false assurances have become the defining characteristics of the Government but when this tactic is applied to an issue as sensitive as the land of the people, then it could have dangerous repercussions.

Time for the Government to take up the matter with the Centre with all the seriousness it deserves.