By Parul Tayenjam
Once called the Jewel of India, enveloped with shimmering mystic, folklores and exotic oriental appeal. It remains sadly elusive to the mainland India, if not for the chaotic ruckus flaring up in the state that catches the eye of the media for its breaking news scroll. Its people caught in never ending conflict between its government and the so called 'revolutionaries' or the 'separatist', deemed to have proved justification of their existence for the sole purpose of liberation of its own people while ironically wreaking havoc in the process.
Seeming not enough violence and conflicts, the Government of India imposed the Arms Forces Special Power Act, 1958. An act that mocks the very existence of human rights. Since its imposition, the military has been equipped with arbitrary power to succumb the masses at its will. Numerous instances of brutal inhuman killings of innocents have remained entombed till today. Fake encounters are an ever ordinary routine for the people whose unattended justice and cries are suppressed and muffled by erroneous blame of bargaining off the dead (victims) with sometimes preposterous accusation of having the victim associate with separatist group, even so when the victims are far independent of such allegations. This is Manipur.
The conflict between the government and the separatist organisations arise with the disputation of opinions on 'plebiscite'. Plebiscite refers to a vote in which all the peole in an area are asked their opinion about or decide an important political or social question. Like in the case of United National Liberation Front, the oldest separatist group working in Manipur, the fight is not only for an independent state but plebiscite as well. They believe that for a state to function and fulfill the wants and needs of its people a referendum is an inevitable solution.
But with time the genuine agenda have subsided, ruthless corruption and greed rooted in and thus, began the endless cycle of clashes with its own people. While the government leeched pompously on the state finances, its masses are left to gripping halt in context of every development possible. Far-fetched are the ideas of 'normality' in this state.
The stories of brutal killings are everyday news, pages of papers are ever splashed with it and shrugged off as 'routine'. Fake encounters are rampant and the state had once again gone under utter turmoil with the July 23rd,09 incident. On that eventful day, Chongkham Sanjit, an ex-PLA (People's Liberation Army) youth was brutally murdered in broad daylight in Khwairamband Bazar, Imphal, by the Police Commandos. Sanjit had retired from the group citing of personal illness and was legally a free man. He was framed with postion of weapon and subsequently killed with accusation of fleeing after having fired shots at the commandos which had earlier killed a seven-months pregnant woman, Elangbam Rabina. The initial reports of the incident by the Manipur Police came under scanner only when photos of eye witness accounts (of what really happened) was published later in Delhi based magazine, Tehelka. The pictures spoke of total contradiction to the story initially held by the police and thus, the weight of truth and reality began to refurbish its foundation. What did really happen that day? Many swear by the story that Rabina was killed by the commandos and Sanjit was later hunted down to take the blame. This is the story of many and it is what Manipur is.
''If you have two pistols, you can form a group and start collecting money from people'',these are the words of Sanayaima, leader of UNLF. Having its border to Myanmar, the supply and access to arms is immensely simple. If every individual starts to be corrupted with easy gain and extortions. Where do its people stand? Well, the future of the Manipuris are uncertain and vague, this is the answer I give.
No comments:
Post a Comment