Who torched the guitar? Students or Goons in Disguise

In an Oxford Union speech, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor famously said: “The British took the Hindi word ‘loot’ into their dictionaries as well as their habits.” In the case of Manipur, student organizations have taken the Hindi-origin word ‘goondaism’ into their duty list as well as their habits. The recent incident is a concrete example. So be it in America or European countries, destruction of others’ possessions cannot be justified. It was a move uncalled-for from a group of students who yearn to act as an apostle of a promising education scheme of the state.
The incident also spoke volumes about the law and order situation in the state. It exhibited that the government was unconscious of any incident until it happened. Moreover, it accentuated the government’s inability to contain such an act against the law. Prevention will always be better than saying the signature phrases “Matik Chaba Action Loukhatkani” or “Lemna Tharoi” after the incident. Once, a court lambasted Delhi police: “If pizza can be delivered within 15 minutes, why can’t police reach the crime scene on time?” – a question that people of Manipur can ask the Manipur police and government, not just about this particular incident, but numerous others that had occurred recently.
For a society to thrive, imparting good education employing effective pedagogy is paramount. The supreme purpose of education in any democracy is to construct well-formed minds who can partake in our system, whose future depends on citizens’ capacity to scrutinize their elected officials. The outcome of education should not be to construct someone who would impair others’ lives or properties. If that happens, then the sole purpose of education goes in vain. This notion is relevant across the world. Nobel Peace Laureate Malala Yosufzai was shot in the head by Taliban shooters, and Kailash Satyarthi was also brutally attacked many times. But the duo never used violent means to attain their objectives of imparting education, and they continue spearheading their campaigns for the students. Like them, people expect that student organizations and their members, who are supposed to be students and well-educated, act with decency and follow educational etiquette. But the recent episode of shattering the properties of an organization altered the narrative of Manipur’s student bodies.
For decades, Manipur has witnessed the states’ student bodies’ valor and fearlessness in many significant events. They scripted a proud history, generations to come will treasure and cherish. The people always respect them for their invaluable contributions and never boldly speak against them. But the recent happening drove the people to vent ire on various media platforms, regardless of the consequences. Though the act was intended, or at least claimed, to have been done for the welfare of the students, it backfired because of using illegitimate means to attain the goal.
Though individuals, media outlets, and artist organizations condemned and criticized the act of torching the musical instruments, it is pretty evident that people don’t despise them but expect them to interpret the meaning of student bodies correctly. And, clarification in any form won’t justify their deed given that it is human nature to remember the bad better than the good. Since the pursuit of education and educational bodies is to expand students’ minds in the service of democracy, people from all walks of life expect them to employ peaceful steps in solving issues and it is achievable. Mahatma Gandhi also famously said: “ In a gentle way, you can shake the world.”