Finally! a year that had witnessed a plethora of unique and amazing, and numerous not so pleasant surprises is coming to an inevitable end. People the world over, as is in the State are eagerly anticipating the sunset to wait out the fag end of the day and start the revelry and celebrate the successful closure of a period in one’s life, but perhaps more for the sheer luck of surviving yet another precious year in this unpredictable and volatile society of ours.
Whatever the reason, it would be an understatement to state that people everywhere is hoping in their hearts of better things to come, and wishing dear and near ones for good fortune and a better future has come to signify a great deal lot than just the thought, for it actually tells without actually mentioning the fact that we all still care and thought of the welfare of others, and that the spirit of festivity and celebration enthused all to warm up to beautiful and positive thoughts, save for a very few souls who are either beyond earthly desires or beyond redemption.
This is the time when hope spring forth and reinvigorate our lives. It gives us a renewed vigour and desire to better ourselves. This is the gist of our future. We have a lot to wish and hope for, and indeed it is this hope that has and will sustain us in our life. Yet hope without the pursuit will only relegate it to a daydream, a waste of time. We have seen and experienced instances of excess, of violation and unwarranted aggression. Violence and fear has been driving factor that has made us scurry for safety and become cynical of the promises made by those who are at the helm of affairs, the very people who were entrusted to provide safety and progress for the people who chose them. The people of Manipur may feel cheated and betrayed, as they should, but hope is eternal, and as long as we have it in our hearts and work to realize it, nothing can stop us from achieving the things we hoped for. We need to be proactive and not wait for the tall promises to be delivered.
It is now time to make things happen, and for that we have to get involved, make ourselves heard and be counted. It has been our collective endeavor here at Imphaltimes to provide the facts, real and undistorted, for the people to draw up an informed decision and opinion. There has been many challenges on the way, and we also know that there will be bigger ones which might slow us down, but we will not stop, nor will we bog down or bow to pressure because that would be betraying our own beliefs and hopes. As Albert Einstein famously suggested: Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.
Perhaps, Franklin D. Roosevelt sums up the feelings of every one of us when he said “We have always held to the hope, the belief, the conviction that there is a better life, a better world, beyond the horizon”. Wishing everyone a happy and better future from Imphaltimes.
