The incessant reports of various deliberate misdeeds for the sole purpose of profiteering without the slightest regard for the safety of others have continued to hit the news, and yet precious little, if ever, have been done to curb these unscrupulous practices- whether be it in terms of adulteration of foodstuffs, supply of vital components for development activities in the state or even for critical healthcare items, not to mention the sloppy workmanship adopted by contractors in every construction works. The free run granted to these elements is too evident to be coincidence. The unabated malpractices being continued despite desperate actions by concerned groups and civil society organizations clearly shows the strong nexus between these unscrupulous elements and those who are supposed to be preventing the very practice- that the authority vested with those who are trusted to be safeguarding the interest of the general public have turned against the people and are in cahoots with those who are profiteering. Is it any wonder then that the general public, having gone beyond the tipping point of patience, decided to take the matters in their own hands and dispense instant justice the way they see fit. What is most inexplicably surprising is the abject failure of the state government and its machineries to even make a slight dent in the activities of the adulterators till now. There has not been a single indication of the state authority looking into the reports which deepens the suspicion and frustration of the general public. Yet amidst the growing din of frustration and defiance against the state government’s inaction and deliberate ignorance of what is shaping up to be a social agitation and unrest, there are still uncomfortable reports flooding in about local MLAs interfering and attempting to disrupt the proper distribution of food grains under the just commenced Food Safety Act in the state. The alleged high-handed attitudes of the people’s representatives demonstrated in no unclear manner the arrogance and thin regard for the rightful beneficiaries which has been trampled on in their quest for pleasing ad retaining their cronies and personal coffers.
Acts and schemes are only as good as the authority implementing them. While it is prudent for the public to exercise restraint, there are certain instances when the patience of the public has been tested to the limit, and the current social unrest is one such instance. Utilizing resources and power to discourage the civil society organizations and other concerned bodies from keeping vigil on the atrocities being committed against the public rather than to plug the crack in the law and order at the initial stage tantamount to shielding the perpetrators. The general public, despite their rising consternation and disappointment in the state government’s sloppy handling of socially sensitive issues, have been keeping a relatively level head and are waiting for the state government to follow up on their assurances and tough-talk with bated breath. But time is running out, and the next social outburst might very well prove to be the accumulation of the innumerable disappointments and frustrations snowballing into a massive and unstoppable force for a radical change.
