A seed once sown in a fertile place with favorable conditions will surely sprout, and even if a boulder is set upon it to retard or stop its growth, will surely wriggle its way out from under to find the
light. This metaphor perhaps explains the unflinching resolve of the people of the state and the region of North East India in general to assert its rights and respect as equal citizens of the country. The endless discriminations and unprovoked assaults on the people from the region in various places in mainland India is a clear manifestation of the distorted politics being propagated and practiced based on caste and communities.
The feeling of alienation, of not belonging and of being treated as less than equal by those residing in mainland India has been a pervading experience for us all. The ugly truth is that the government at the centre, without any exception, does not consider it necessary to make an effort to dissuade or prevent such ignorant and rather malicious outlook and behavior towards the people from the
North East, either through the law or social awareness and information. North East is being viewed as a territory to be held secure purely for strategic reasons, while the inhabitants are mere incidental collaterals.
The present unrest and relentless multiple demands including removal of Vice Chancellor of Manipur University, revelation of the controversial Frame Work Agreement, the Border issue, justice for the 900 plus Kuki brethrens including women and children, demand for punishment of Armed group responsible for attacking the family of a TSA leader at Moreh , demand for justice of the 5258 dead soul who were killed alleged encounter and the demand for getting urgent assent tot the ILPS like Bill tabled in the recently ended Manipur State Assembly session in the wake of the notification of the Assam NRC etc. are a sum effect of the protracted mistreatment and myopic view of those at the centre regarding the interests and aspirations of the people of the region.
Fulfilling of the demand for removal of the Vice Chancellor could take less than a minute if the centre desire so and have so much concern about the faith of the 1000s of Higher education students. Border Pillar issue could have been no problem had the Government of Indian authority listen to the complaints by the villagers who have been protecting the boundary of the country for years. The Armed cadres under SoO who are responsible for attacked to TSA leader at Moreh could have been booked easily as per the law of the land as it is an open secret that they were with some of the security forces. The demand opposing the extension of the article 371 (A) is no difference from the demand for removal of the Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir by the hard core of the ruling BJP government.
The demands being put up are for rendering of justice and good governance, preservation and continuity of our traditions, customs and communities. There is the very real and present danger of the state being overwhelmed and overpowered financially or territorially by forces which even the state government will find impossible to fend off, thereby relegating our cultural identity to mere history and our own people to an insignificant minority in its own land or perhaps Manipur may not exist when the so called demand of the NSCN-IM as spell out by RN Ravi has been fulfilled.
