The people of the state took a giant leap of faith during the last state assembly election by electing enough representatives of the BJP which emerged as the most promising alternative, to ensure that the then incumbent government is shaken out of their self-induced reverie and increasingly whimsical manner of governance.
The chest thumping declarations, speeches and projections of progress as well as the incredible feats of showmanship displayed by the national leaders during the keenly contested campaigns helped in no small measure in convincing the voters of the approaching ‘good days’. More than anything, it was an exercise in effecting change and in doing so have proven beyond any shred of doubt that in this time and age, it will not be possible to fool the informed people who have started to vocalize and express their concerns and opinions more openly and succinctly. It was also a message that the people will no longer wait for the promised change but will take matters into their hands and will not tolerate inordinate delays. The message of the mass to the leaders of the state could not have been clearer- or one would have wished so.
After an initial dream run, things have started falling in the same old rhythm of bandhs, blockades, strikes and shutdowns, the latest and the most serious one being the hardening standoff at Manipur University which has crossed 100 days of disruptions and is well and truly set not only continue but also to spill over and affect the state as a whole.
What started as a protest against alleged irregularities has now assumed a more virulent and far-reaching dimension, and going by the clippings and updates circulating in various social media platforms, what should have been a case of maladministration and mismanagement have turned into a personal attack on an individual who have shown increasing defiance of the concerns and efforts of not only the staffs and students of the university but also the state government as well as the MHRD. Why has the whole exercise emerging as a form of witch-hunt against AP Pandey? How did the highest seat of learning in the state crumbled to such a woeful position? Has the evidently vigilant and ever watchful students, teachers and staffs failed or rather hesitated in raising the red flag at the right time, and why? What made the Chief Minister of Manipur who have the moral obligation to spearhead efforts to find an amicable and lasting solution to the ongoing issue acting uncharacteristically restrained and subdued, evidently focused on damage control exercises rather than taking proactive measures to bring closure to the increasingly virulent and rapidly widening problem? Why has a set of students started demanding separate university thereby compounding the problem and further threatening the already vitiated law and order situation in the state by announcing blockades? Is Pandey the first and only head of Manipur University who have indulged in maladministration and willful mismanagement for personal interests? Is there absolutely no other alternative or means to continue the agitation without disturbing the academic proceedings in the interest of thousands of students whose future are at stake? – uncomfortable questions whose answers will ultimately reveal the absolute truth and thereby a way out of the present quandary.
