Drugs, Social Peace and Governance: North East Tragedy

By – Amar Yumnam
Imphal, September 29:
Events do not happen in a vacuum. Every event would have a context. Each context would carry qualities of her own depending upon the place, the socio-cultural realities of the people of the place and the timing of the transformation of the concerned society. All these happen under the observance and control of what is called state (generally represented by the government with the power of administration exercised by it).
The most significant social pains of Manipur today and, for that matter, the entire North-East relates to the behavioural manifestations of the government (state would be a more relevant conceptual term, but avoided for easier understanding in the popular context) at all the levels; the term the North-East means the seven provinces of India bordering the South East Asia and exclusively away from the “valued mainland” of India. First, the government does not show presence of any philosophy nor of imagination in its functionings in the region. Let us recall the beauty and the positive social impact the statements of Descartes caused in this regard (1619): “It might appear strange that there should be opinions of weight in the writings of the poets more so than in those of the philosophers. The reason is that the poets wrote out of enthusiasm and imagination; there are within us seeds of knowledge, as in a flint, which the philosophers bring forth by means of reason, but which the poets strike out by imagination; and they [then] shine more brightly.” This certainly caused a big social debate with diversity in opinions among the thinkers of the land and the people enjoying the indirect benefits, unlike the present scenario of diversity being seen in the North-East context as enemies standing to beat the other on any issue and the government standing aloof enjoying as if it is a live drama. Second, there does not appear any sign of serious search on the part of the government for the causes of the social tensions happening in the region. Feeling anxiety or tension is a natural phenomenon being experienced by every individual at more or less degrees.
But I am talking of the anxiety being experienced at the level of society as a whole. Third, the level of anxiety being felt by an individual depends upon the risk perceived by the individual. But when we talk of risk at the social level, it takes a much deeper, wider and life implications. It is this risk which is being experienced in the North-East with signs of absence of governance than of a presence of one with thoughtful endeavours to understand and bring the society back to normal functioning.
The manifestations of the presence of government with the governance characteristics I have mentioned above is most visible in recent days with huge catches of drugs. We are shown big displays of photographs and videos with feelings of pride being shown on the faces by the security forces.
Here I would definitely assert that the compulsiveness for the causes for indulgence in the trading of drugs now would be very different from the normal times. First of all, let us be very clear of the fact that the truck drivers, men and women being caught along with the drugs would never be the original persons who had invested the involved amounts on the drugs. Second, the dependence on some little earnings with the major chunk being taken by the original investors would be the minimal requirements the respective families need for their livelihood.
I am by no means saying that there should be no catches. But what we need to be alive to is the fact of livelihood struggles, child sufferings in all conceivable dimensions, social relationship declines. The people have been suffering both quantitative and qualitative declines in surviving for nearly three years by now in social existence. This naturally multiplied the risks of survival at both individual and social levels. These uncertainties would certainly induce the individuals to undertake one-time risks at high potential benefits promised by the ones investing on trading in drugs.
This is not the time for the government to ridicule the people and their society without appropriate appreciation of the contextual realities. Societies are everywhere in the world, but the qualitative and quantitative characteristics and the involved risks of survival are different across them. It is time, I mean it, to understand the meaning of society and social functioning in the North-East. It is imperative that every government governs a society with an understanding of the contextual social realities. Ridiculing the people at times of crisis is never a desirable functioning character of a government. The recent catches of drugs emphasise more than ever the application of mind to the risks of existence and means of livelihood of the people. The government must live up to this challenge to validly claim as the national government with reasoned and methodical application of mind.