India celebrates 70th Independence Day yesterday. The day should have been the happiest moment for the entire citizen across the country irrespective of cast, creed, community and gender. The joy of carrying the try colour flags should have been the moment of joy for almost all of us living in India.
The supposed to be proud moment for each and every one of us turn out to be gloomy day for many people particularly for those living in the state of Manipur and Jammu and Kashmir.
It is 70 years that India got freedom and still half the population never know that that are citizen of free country. Poverty, chauvinism, corrupt practice of bureaucrats and politicians, the Jamandari system, dowry dead, suicide of farmers unable to clear debt still is hot issue for this 70 years old country. Change of government fails to bring any changes. It is nothing different than the same old wine in a new bottle.
On the other hand people in NE states particularly those in Manipur and Nagaland and people of Jammu and Kashmir are treated as second class citizen in this country where proudly declared the world to have the world largest democracy.
In November middle week, 2014, during the 9th Asian Summit held at Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had stated that – In a world of Interdependence and globalisation, there is no option but to follow international laws and norms. Again while speaking at Madison Squar Garden, New York city our respected prime Minister had stated that he will scrap outdated law.
The heart touching speech was made by Mr Modi he was barely 100 days in the PMO.
Even though Mr. Modi had shown much interest about the need for following the international law and morns his government still is not a signatory to the Rome statute for setting up of the International criminal Court. Mr. Modi is still silent in the part of draconian law AFSPA which is outdated.
Imphal Times did not say AFSPA as outdated but it was the former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohon Singh, Former Home Minister Chindambaram and dozens of lawyers, journalist, columnist writers and common people which said that AFSPA is inhumane law and outdated as it was an ordinance established by the then British government to suppress the freedom struggle of that time.
Coming to Manipur, for years people of the state have been witnessing several rebel groups boycotting the Independence Day by freezing all wakes of live under the spell of general strike. The rebels do have their cause in calling the day general strike and most surprising thing the irresponsive attitude of both the state and central government to the calls made on this day. The silence of both the state and central government seems to be a clear indication on the righteousness to the call of the rebel or else why shouldn’t there be any statement from the government authority regarding the reasons that the rebels had put forward justifying their cause.
A stitch in time save River Nine – the saying should be well think upon. For someone who wanted to go deep into the genesis of all this chaos arisen out of the conflict we certainly do have reason to blame the Central government authority for all the present state of our state.
In his book “Open Secret”, Maloy Krishna Dhar, the then joint director of the SIB, an intelligent agency had categorically stated the political and economic condition of the state. As according to him he had submitted reports on why the youths especially the Meitei had frustration to the merger of the erstwhile kingdom to the Indian Union terming it as ignorance from the part of the Union government authority. It was in the late 60s that intelligent agency had understood and further cautioned the Union leadership about the possible raise of a separatist movement as an outcome of negligence and proper understanding about the problem of the state.
Points here we wanted every guardian of the country’s constituency is the need of special attention to the problem of the state. A mere policy for awarding rehabilitation package to some of the rebel groups and signing of peace deal or cease fire is not a lasting solution. Rather it would bring major problem to the state.
A wrong is a wrong, and a right is always right. What is wrong in correcting the wrongs. India now is emerging as a super power and it is not wrong to speculate in the possible interference of external force to distort the country’s unity. The only means to strengthen the ties of the country’s unity is through proper clarification on what had been committed before. It was a fact that people in the state believed that merger of Manipur with the Indian Union was Illegal- a resolution adopted by a peoples’ convention held at GM Hall Imphal in 1993.
Now the mindset of the youth had change a lot , no individuals are fool enough to be driven by some cheap provocative propaganda. So it is better the government accept what has happened before and should sort out the conflict with proper understanding. After all, rebels waging war are also human beings.
