The face of justice
- Imphal Times Editorial :: July 18 2020 -

The state Government has unfailingly led the way in condoning acts of crime in the society as any righteous and sympathetic institution ought to do.

The public even witnessed tears of indignation and frustration shed publicly accompanied by assurances of bringing the perpetrator(s) to book and to deliver stern and swift justice.

To be fair, the Government did send some criminals and rapists behind bars.

Yet no one can deny the fact that such instances where criminals are convicted is too little, and too late.

Crimes which could only have been conjured up by fiction writers have been committed in the state.

Crimes that shook the collective conscience of the society have remained a mystery, and there are criminals who went scot free thanks to the incompetency of those handling the cases.

On second thought, are they just being incompetent or a case of competent enough to deliberately botch up the issues to such extent that conclusions can never be reached?

The possibilities are so very real and suspiciously familiar with the public.

Ministers and heads of state harboring criminals and trouble makers to do their dirty works is not a novelty.

There had even been more than one occasion where such outlaws and wanted criminals were arrested along with unauthorized arms from the official residences of powerful Government officials and representatives.

It does not, however mean to imply in any way that the Government is incapable of acting swiftly and decisively when it feels the urgency or the necessity to do so.

The implicit question now is: what is keeping the judicial and the executive machineries of the state from performing to the best of their abilities, with all the powers and authorities bestowed upon them?

Has they been compromised or are taken up by the lure of personal wealth and benefits offered in lieu of their leniency or complicity?

The society was shocked beyond belief with the audacity of crimes such as that of Rabina and Sanjit who were gunned down in broad daylight in the heart of the city, with undeniable evidences contradicting the blatant lies of the state security force broadcasted through national media and creating chaos and unrest in the state.

That very particular crime has lost its importance with the passage of time, and is bound to slip into oblivion.

Can the government really afford to publicly discard such sentimental issues just because it has the wherewithal to fuddle things up?

Is saving the skin of a few loyal and compliant employees mean more than denying timely justice to its citizens?

What chances have the public to fancy when even such evidently cut and dried cases have been made to drag on without a befitting conclusion in sight?

What are the chances of the victims from the state affected by racial crimes committed against them outside the state for availing justice and assistance from the state Government?

Is the Government justified in portraying itself the victim of social outburst and defamatory allegations when its own machineries fumbles and twisted the system beyond redemption?

Action speaks louder than words, and justice delayed is justice denied.

If the government values the trust and cooperation of the public, it has to vindicate itself through actions.

Brute force, coercion and deception are poor substitutes for transparency, empathy and integrity.