The missing picture
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: April 16, 2013 -

Chief Minister O Ibobi and Rajya Sabha MP Rishang Keishing presenting a painting to the visiting President :: Pix - Hueiyen Lanpao

Over the years, it has become easier for anyone to predict what it would be like before, during and after the visit of any VVIP from New Delhi to Manipur.

Even as boycott of the visit along with imposition of bandh or general strike by various UG groups has become mandatory, the normally busy streets and market places remained empty to greet the august visitors.

Apart from stepping up security measures days ahead of the visit, the State administration may be making extra efforts to deck up the city - filing up potholes along the long neglected road stretches, giving fresh coat of paint to the road dividers and electric poles or placing flower pots picked up from private homes or nurseries all along the road median to give that impression of a neat and clean city to the august visitors.

But whether all these elaborate arrangements have been really able to impress the visitors is altogether a different story with no one there to wave to his or her welcoming hand to the visitors all along the route from the airport.

Of course, with the bandh or general strike called by the UG groups in force, to assume that the public of Manipur, who otherwise are always on the lookout for some sort of spectacles to entertain themselves, are shying away from coming out to enjoy the passing spectacle would be farfetched.

The maiden visit of Dr Pranab Mukherjee to Manipur after assuming the office of the President of India in July last year to participate in the diamond jubilee celebration of Adimjati Shiksha Ashram at Chingmeirong on April 15 has been no different to other VVIP visits to the State in the past.

In addition to the boycott call given by the Co-ordination Committee of KCP, KYKL, PREPAK, PREPAK (Pro), RPF and UNLF along with imposition of 26-hour general strike in whole of Manipur from 6 am of April 15 to 8 am of April 16, another armed group, URF has called a State-wide general strike to boycott the visit of the President with effect from 6 am of April 15 till the President leaves Imphal.

This usual fare of VVIPs from New Delhi visiting Manipur only to be greeted by empty streets of a decked up but shut down city is becoming so predictable that some sections of the people have started wondering over the futility of all these boycott calls and the elaborate arrangements made by the State administration, thus, wasting huge amount of public money, which could have been used more appropriately for bringing about some 'real and tangible' development which can be actually seen and felt by the taxpayers themselves, and not to please the eyes of some VVIP visitors from New Delhi, who would never have the privilege nor care about experiencing the real Manipur.

After all, the spectacle laid before their eyes by the State administration is nothing but an absurd pretense of creating a pleasing sight of picture-perfect Imphal city with no framework at all till the visit lasts.