Yesterday’s bomb blast in the heart of Imphal city and other important public places in different parts of the state have once again dragged the meagre improvements in the law and order situation back to the those tumultuous times of the not so distant past, creating a sense of uneasy trepidation and foreboding in the society. Meanwhile, the increasingly discomforting incidents of bomb blasts and planting of explosive devices in and around these important public places is on the rise, coinciding with the approaching Republic day which will be celebrated in the state and the nation over. The past few days, as have unfailingly happened the past many years are especially discomforting and inconvenient for the general public owing to the fact that various proscribed groups in the state have declared their decision to boycott the Republic Day celebration with means fair or foul, resulting in an increasing of security measures by the state and central forces in the state. Yet the fact remains that the very real and present threats of explosions and other violent public disruptions remain which begs the question: are these the acts of the various opposing proscribed groups bent on making a farce of the efforts of the state government to portray a false sense of normalcy to the gullible public in the state and the rest of the nation? Or is it the handiwork of a systematic and resourceful group of people who stands to benefit from the turmoil which is suspected to be deliberately engineered to avail of the various sops and benefits handed down by the centre to contain and mitigate the issue? Or yet, is it a ploy to prolong the imposition of AFSPA in the state and the free run and immunity it assures to various executives and security personnel deployed in the state not to mention the allure of awards and medals for “Acts of Valour” in duty so generously bestowed by the government without so much as questioning the actual facts of such incidents? A prominent case in point being the recent order by the high court for compensating the 10 victims of the “Malom Massacre” of November 2000, killed by Assam Rifles in an alleged fake encounter and prompting Irom Chanu Sharmila to protest the gruesome incident by going in a fast which still continues to this day. The high court order also clearly reiterates the innocence of the victims, snd yet the culprits are yet to be brought to justice.
For the perpetrators of such crimes, it should have been clear that coercive force, intimidation and violence do not last. Personal and social gains can be had in larger proportions when the state takes the road of inclusive industrialisation and commercial progress. But then that needs perseverance, hard work, persistence and honesty. Are we ready to meet the challenge? Or more importantly, is the government, both at the state and the centre ready to throw such challenges to the public?
Agenda behind the blasts
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