The state heaved a sigh of comparative relief after what can only be described as a spell of mayhem and political maelstrom. And yet the public, and indeed, everybody in the state still is holding its collective breadth as the present lull have the very real and imminent possibility of transforming into another bout of social upheaval and chaos. There still is a lingering sense of insecurity and suspicion made worse by the sporadic incidents of violence and obstructions. Educational institutions, markets and offices still wear a deserted look. Vehicular movement on the roads is still a fraction of the normal volume. And while the public is trying to make the best of the moment, the countdown to the D-Day has already begun. The JCILPS is sticking to its stand of resuming the agitation if the demand for implementation of the Inner Line Permit System in Manipur is not met by the state government. Worse still, out of the stipulated fifteen days, six days have already been gone. Meanwhile, the state government is slowly waking up to the reality, and is just beginning to stir so very languidly. One would be at a loss of words if any attempt is being made to translate the manner in which the state government is responding to the issue. Either it has not registered the full implication of the situation, and therefore is ignorant of the seriousness of the issue, or that it still is confident that the oft tried and tested tactics of letting issues die out with time will still work. If recent developments are any indications, or if the government has given serious consideration, the old tactics will most likely to be proven impotent. The JCILPS have clearly expressed that the time for talks is well and truly over, and that the ball is now in the court of the state government. Surely, there shouldn’t have been anything beyond the question of legalities that the two sides have not made themselves clear, given the length and frequency of meetings and discussions all these time. Also, the state government owes the people the basic right of making its concerns, constraints and restrictions made known through the media instead of hanging on to the habit of closing its doors to the public and the media on discussions and deliberations concerning the interest of the people of Manipur. Such a transparent approach will save it a lot of trouble and headache, not to mention the resistance, hostilities and suspicions which would arise otherwise. And amidst the din and furore, a very uncomforting trend is emerging which has the potential of turning an individual against another. It has been reported time and again that some supporters of the JCILPS have over reacted and turned their aggressions on sections of the public who are engaged in essential services such as the media, news hawkers, doctors, ambulances etc. despite being shown relevant documents of identification. Almost all of these uncontrollable individuals are often found to be under the influence of alcohol and other drugs. The JCILPS, being the body spearheading the agitation should make sure such unwanted and potentially damaging incidents does not repeat itself or else the very just movement might very well turn into a free-for-all for opportunists to settle personal scores or to reap personal benefits- all of which invites the danger of having the direction of the movement to shift and flounder.
