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Of Beacons and Batons

by IT Web Admin
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What happens when an unstoppable force meets an unmovable object? The very answer has been eluding great minds for so long, and we can, at this point of time, only speculate on the outcome. Yet, taking this question as a metaphor, we have had the bad fortune of having to come across similar situations one time too many. Reports of run-ins between top level bureaucrats, army officials, self-professed harbingers of change and people’s representatives have been on the increase, and with each of these clashes of bloated egos, we, the common people have been at the receiving end for no fault of ours. There has never been a clear winner in all these episodes, not as yet anyway, and still the public pays for it in the form of increased harassments and unwarranted retaliations -read Malom Massacre of 1990, the RIMS Massacre of 1995 or the infamous unrestrained rampant firing by CRPF personnel at Tera a couple of decades back. Each party has their own versions of the incidents, and are apparently convinced about their own innocence. The truth is, almost every one of these parties to the acts have, in one way or the other, have trespassed their moral, official and social obligations and authorities in their dispensing of duties. Whenever their undesirable modus operandi is reported or written about, the stock excuse for resorting to such acts has been the prevailing law and order situation in the state. Well then, who are responsible for the present state of affairs in Manipur? Terrorism and insurgency has been used as an excuse to implement or impose AFSPA and various other restrictions to public life- things and amenities taken for granted in most other parts of the country and elsewhere. Atrocities have been proven to be committed by abusing the immunity granted by the AFSPA, and red beacons are being abused to intimidate the public and gain undue advantage. Funds meant for the welfare and progress of the public are being siphoned off for personal use or are not being utilized at all, citing unbearable disturbances by antisocial elements. Meanwhile, various proscribed armed groups are mushrooming up in every nook and corner of the state as well with an expressed agenda of forcing the nation to part ways with the state, professing this to be the only option for bringing peace, harmony and progress. When such divergent views and ideologies are being followed with unbending rigidity by these different groups having adequate resources to pursuit their goals without the least consideration to the resultant outcome such brazen and focused steps are bound to produce, the hapless public suffers. Surprisingly, all these atrocities and excesses are being carried out in the name of protecting and providing the general public with resources and services for social growth and stability. It is not by attempting to trample each others’ ego that the responsible officers and representatives of the people can bring progress and development, but by showing mutual respect, cooperation and coordination. But then, this should have been implied in each of our duties and roles in the society. Wonder how so many of them managed to miss the fine print?    

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