The last general strike called by the JCILPS to protest against the forcible passing of the “Manipur regulation of visitors, tenant and migrant worker’s bill 2015″ by the State assembly on the 16th of this month, despite vehement protests and strong objections from various groups demanding the introduction of Inner Line Permit System in Manipur have, as have happened umpteenth times in the not so distant past, paralysed the society and brought the state to a standstill. The main contention, this time however, is not so much about the inaction of the state Government but about the abruptness with which the Bill, after only a couple of days of being drafted and discussed, was rushed to be passed by the state assembly, inspite of objections by a few of its members as well as every organisation and social bodies calling for rectification and amendment to the draft before it was brought up in the assembly. The state had witnessed a few instances of such haphazard decisions in the past, the most remarkable recent example being the dissolution of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the state police force immediately after it managed to seize a huge haul of banned narcotic substances from the Tulihal Airport without assigning any reason whatsoever, and it does not come as a surprise when it happened yet again. What have prompted such uncharacteristic promptness and alacrity? Whose interests are being jeopardized by the demands of the public? And why is the government hesitant to give a straight view on the present situation inspite of the increase in public unrest and agitation which is threatening to bring the already disturbed state to a grinding halt once again? Is it one of the many avenues by which the imposition of the much debated and abhorred AFSPA 1958 be justified? Does the government still believe that the public will be taken in by the show of compliance on its part to apparently give in to the demand of the public without really meaning to carry it out in letter and spirit? Perhaps the dismissive attitude of the government can be inferred from the fact that monetary assistance have been announced for those the victims of the recent bomb blast at Khwairamband bazaar, while the issue of the non-functioning CCTV cameras has been conveniently sidelined;- with whose help, were these gadgets to be functional- the perpetrators might have been identified and hopefully brought to justice. It is high time those at the helm of affairs realize the sentiments of the public and act accordingly, and also to stand its ground on matters that will harm the society in the long run. It also needs to establish a two-way communication and not the usual one-way process of memorandums and written demands from the public. The public has to have an answer for all the confusions and contradictions. The answer better be rational and convincing.
