Day: August 28, 2011

By: Seram Neken
“If Irom Chanu Sharmila fasted for corruption and if Septuagenarian Anna Hazare protested against AFSPA, the matters would have been different. If Sharmila hails from mainland India and if Hazare is a native of Manipur, the vice versa of what is being strongly addressed by the government might have happened. This time, Sharmila expressed her whole-hearted moral support to Anna Hazare’s protest following the latter’s invitation. Had the invitation for joining the protest come from Sharmila to Anna Hazare, would the latter have responded readily ? ”

Great personalities are created where there is respect for human values. The dignity the British attached to Gandhiji as a freedom fighter helped him gain the fame worldwide and glorify his non-violence. Had MK Gandhi been born in a place like Manipur or had he undergone his protests against a government such as that of today’s Manipur, Gandhijis non-violence would not have gained its fame and he would not have been recognized as the father of the nation. Indifference of the rulers might have jeopardized his cause half-way or he might have ended his life in the bullets of mindless security people of this land. 

The strikers whom politicians, media persons and the intellectuals are attentive to or glorify most, are considered as strong revolutionaries fighting for the people’s cause. If Irom Chanu Sharmila fasted for corruption and if Septuagenarian Anna Hazare protested against AFSPA, the matters would have been different. If Sharmila hails from mainland India and if Hazare is a native of Manipur, the vice versa of what is being addressed by the government might have happened. Let us examine the importance of the two causes between corruption and human rights, and let us compare the personalities of Sharmila and Hazare. Personality cult seems to out-do the issues. Sharmila has readily extended her support to the cause of Hazare’s protest following the latter’s invitation to join him. However, the nation has not responded to the call of Irom Chanu Sharmila for over ten years.

Sharmila has now become a symbol of peace, in the true sense of the term. She has earned the reputation of having the strongest will and heart for protection of human rights around the globe. She is not a mere striker, but a model of truth and justice. Gandhijis non-violence has been glorified by her personality in the twenty first century. It is not politically motivated and her demands represent the general will of the hapless people residing amidst the draconian laws of democratic India. In spite of neglects and indifference of the rulers for more than a decade, she never goes back. It is natural that Anna Hazare invited Sharmila to join his crusade against corruption. It is more natural that the Iron Lady expressed her moral support to the cause, but declined to join the fast in New Delhi for the Hazare cause. She rather blamed the nation for its indifference to the cause of human right violations.

The national media is highly discriminatory as did the government and political parties at the national level in regard to the dual cases of Sharmila and Hazare. Both strikers have been fighting for the social good, both have been following the non-violent means of fasting. However, Sharmila has almost crossed a decade of fasting, while Hazare’s appearance on the scene is quite recent as compared to the former. However, the national media have been disproportionately viewing the two protests. Intensity of the protests and the causes themselves have to be considered in balance while reporting to the people and drawing government’s attention.

Meanwhile, Dr. Manmohan Singh has written a nice letter to the septuagenarian protester with the highest concern for the latter’s health. In the letter, the Prime Minister says : “Over the last few days, I have watched with increasing concern of your health. Despite the differences between the government and your team, I don’t think that anybody is or should be in any doubt about the deep and abiding concern  which I and our government share about your health, arising from your continuing fast. I have no hesitation in saying that we need your views and actions in the service of the nation, from a robust physical condition and not in the context of frail and failing health……..” The emotional care of the leader of the nation towards a Gandhian as shown in the letter is indeed envious and courteous, and highly expected of a leadership where the father of the nation was born. It is really lamentable that during the last more than a decade of Sharmila’s fasting, not a single courtesy of such kind has been exhibited towards her from the end of a nation’s leadership. Barring independent writers, political motivators and select media personalities, the nation has been keeping mum on her cause and protest. Now that Anna Hazare and his cause have gained widespread media coverage and government attention in a comparatively short duration, has reflected some kind of nostalgia in the hearts of the so called Indian citizens residing in the far border hilly state of Manipur. Let us uphold human rights while fighting against corruption at all levels.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2011/08/had-gandhiji-been-born-in-the-land-of-sharmila/

By N. Arunkumar
“A cat may go to a monastery, but she still remains a cat.”
Once again the National Highway is under siege. The hapless people of Manipur are strategically at a disadvantage undeniably, due to the geographic terrain loaded heavily in favour of a few bandits on the route of the sustenance of Manipur, the NH – 39. Time and time again, this piece of real estate has been abused by all and sundry, on matters sillier than sound, and put the people of Manipur under all kinds of unspeakable despairs. The costs of basic necessities are steadily rising today due to this latest siege on this highway. And, once again, the solutions to this problem are a vexed issue, and not something that can be resolved hastily. The demands in this case, are of a constitutional nature, which cannot be worked out in just one sitting of the Assembly or approved by the Central leadership instantly either. Carving out a different district is as much a question of an all encompassing consensus between various administrative arms of the system, and not a one off government decree.

It requires ratification from various government institutions, including the defence and revenue collection nodal agencies of the country. Whatever grievances the people of the region may have in terms of administrative lacunae in the present circumstances, leading to this throttling of the people of Manipur, needs to be thought out sensibly so as to get the sympathies of the people here too. But, making the people suffer to this extent only distances the people of Manipur from the issues of the agitations, and creates disdain within them.

For this reason, no compassion will be forthcoming from the people of this region for the people of that region, believe me. After all, we are all living in a world where we respect the laws of survival, and the more the people of Manipur are subjected to this torture, the more durable will become their resolve to rise up and resist giving in easily to the threats being posed by such strong arm tactics. We don’t want a war between us, do we? We are peace loving people, remember?

The central leadership is scarcely bothered to ensure that the vital conduits of the NHs are maintained safely and without thuggery of this kind. We are undoubtedly completely upset with the attitude of the central leadership in their lack of resolve to protect this lifeline of Manipur and, continue to meekly watch as mute spectators while citizens of the land continue to degenerate and face countless hardships due to irritants of such nature. Where are the security forces now, when the time for real security has arisen? Are they under any standing instructions not to interfere in the matter and let the situation go its own way to teach the people of Manipur a lesson in docile submission?

Honestly, it seems evident that they are under some such covert instructions under ‘top verbal secret’. Why are they not going after the perpetrators of this crime against the people of Manipur, and ensuring that the National property like the NH – 39 is kept free from thugs who are having a free run on it? Is it not the duty of the security force to provide real security in real time in such situations? Or is the proxy war a genuine ideal of the army, paramilitary and the police agencies of the region?

So many questions and no answers! The puzzle becomes a riddle and the riddle rids our mind of sanity at the moment. We are angry. We are despondent. Are we to suffer this shame silently and still wear plastic smiles on our faces as patriotic citizens of this country? Why are we being treated like dirt? Are we second class citizens? Hey, these are more questions without answers. And, now the cost of living in Manipur is among the highest anywhere today, and for being so, we are to be a rich land. Yes, we are rich in many ways, but at the moment we are rich with dilemmas, inconveniences, and misfortunes. The Chief Minister seems silent on the issue, and strangely all the other leaders are silently watching the drama of miseries unfold without condemning or taking steps to ensure that we are sheltered from these misfortunes.

No one seems to be taking this issue seriously, or working towards a solution to the problems being heaped on the people. We are damned, and let us stay damned seems to be the attitude of the government too. To whom do we turn now for an end to this crisis? Are there no leaders worth some dignified thought in that area either, to talk to the perpetrators sensibly and appeal to them to desist from such cardinal sins? Or, do they also support this pogrom like instrument in treating the people of Manipur so shabbily?

This is a crime against humanity, and needs to be loathed not only by the people of Manipur who are the noticeable sufferers, but also by the national and international communities too. How can a handful of people be allowed hold an entire state to ransom to find redress to their issues? This is a belligerent situation indeed. It is a grave crime against the people of Manipur. In fact, the leaders of this agitation should be tried for crimes against humanity, in the normal course of distinguished human values.

However, nothing of the sort will happen. Everyone concerned will let the callous people who orchestrated this indignity go scot free and a solution will be cobbled together for some sort of temporary reprieve. The moot problem of letting the National Highway remain a lethal armoury to be used against the people of Manipur will remain status quo after all. A permanent solution to this has to be found out as quickly as possible, so as to prevent these series of total chaos in the Manipuri society. We are indeed in the doldrums otherwise and will remain ever vulnerable to the threat of humiliations being heaped on us, time and time again. In fact, the Home Ministry has to answer for these lapses in governance in the final analysis. But, the question remains as to `who will bell the cat`?

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2011/08/who-will-bell-the-cat/