By- Kanpatlung Pamei
Basically, the existence of RNYO & RNSO was necessitated in the Rongmei society with a vision mission to create a better social order against the existing default and defective social structure. There are corrupt elements permeating and saturating the society and the state of Manipur in general. Activities of corruptions and extortions are being openly played, blindfolding the civic and innocent citizens of the state. The social conscience of the people have been benumbed or paralysed by rampant acts of corruption in many disguised devices and forms that the general public and people are made voiceless, accepting the fact as social norm of the day. Underground activities and culture have invaded the society, spoiling the peace, progress and prosperity. The will and interest of the people are kept silent and suppressed by unlawful activists and corrupt leaders and politicians. Civil administration could not rule out or manage the menace of the society. The government is even put to hard pressed situation and are politicized and manipulated by the given circumstances. Things are going from bad to worst and publics are compelled victims of corruption and are oppressed by default social system. The good Government cannot run smooth in the bad and corrupt society. Government is made to depict as a support less and anti-people in such a chaotic society. Sensing the urgency and responsibility to restore and regenerate peace and progressive society for fast and effective development in the state, the Youth and students of Rongmei community took up the role of facilitating and promoting a better social order and to introduce new and more effective social elements by defying the wrong social structures. Realising the essentiality as civics citizens to stand up to defend the government, people and innocents victimized public, the RNYO and RNSO was established with the mandate of the Rongmei people.
Every good initiative and contribution in the society is faced with speculative apprehensions and oppositions. Nevertheless, civic citizens must not be cowed down by negative pressures or oppositions. Notwithstanding the current misreading and numbers of allegations reflected against the voluntary civil society organizations, the leaders of the organizations(RNYO & RNSO) shall strive on to stand strong in defending and supporting the government in the interest of the people and social justice. Social justice calls upon governments to protect the rights of all the citizens and in a special way those of the weak, defend-less and the oppressed. The initiatives of the organizations reminds and apprises the government of the state and Union Government to provide equality of opportunity to all citizens, especially to the underprivileged and to work for the total social upliftment and balanced development of every section of the society.
The current issues leading to the arrest of leaders of the Organizations are direct depiction of the pseudo society and mal-administration of the district of the state. The very act of unwarranted arrest is unfortunate and condemned. When the civil administration fails to see the security, welfare and general development of the people, the socially responsible civil society organizations have every right to summon or issue show-cause notice to any government not as a superior authority or suppressing the administration but as a concerned civil organization in the interest of justice and of the people.
The order of DC Tamenglong with ulterior motive notified or issued against the organizations without evidences or seeking clarification from the organizations has compelled the organizations to react by seeking his explanation for his clarification is to why he has openly challenged the authority of the people’s organizations in such a derogative and suppressive term. The lifeline of the people of Manipur NH-37 has been long neglected and no other civil organization raised a voice to the government. It was RNYO who took up the task to physically repair the NH-37 by calling Social work and Bandh Called in the interest of the state in 2016. Subsequently RNYO and AMUCO jointly initiated a move to introduce NHIDCL in the state by denouncing BRO. Thereafter, the NHIDCL have been executing the work with certain term of understanding with RNYO & AMUCO. Further RNYO wrote to CM and Ministry of Road Transport Highways & shipping Govt. of India in 20 June 2017 for culvert and drainage construction along NH-37. The same had been acknowledged and implemented by NHIDCL as directed by the centre. However, the recent collapsed of Irang (Alang) Bridge and the lost of life and commodities due to negligence of the concerned construction company and irresponsible civil administration of the district. The fact is proven by the second time collapse of the same bridge that has provoked and prompted the organizations to question the responsible NHIDCL Company. What interest and interference has the civil administrator of the district over the matter to question and allege RNYOM & RNSO to implicate as illegally demanding money from the company? Will any civic leaders and organizations demand money in such a situation when the need of the hour is to contribute and make our share to repair and restore the road connectivity? As per the interaction with the NHIDCL, it is clear that, the civil administration and government has no concern and attention given to reconstruct the bridge. It was only the contribution of certain contractors and Goodwill Company rendered for reconstruction of the bridge. How could the Civil administrator of the district claim any valid concern or authority given over the matter? It was RNYOM who attended to the emergency need to rescue the drown driver by demanding the state Disaster Rescue Force from other district. What role and right as concern DC has he rendered even to provide ex-gratia or humanitarian service to the bereaved family and for the matter to reconstruct or provide alternative road connectivity? What bias or indifference attitude runs his mind towards the community or the communities of the state in general in such a circumstance? What differentiation or discrimination is depicted against the common acceptance of hills and valley as one people of the state?
The legality of the civil administration is questioned if the civil authority is to overrule the interest of the people. The civil laws should not be used as an instrument of the rich and powerful to maintain their domination and to protect their vested interests. The law is to bring about justice for all and not to suppress the innocent citizens. If the law in the hands of civil administration or Government fails to bring justice to the deserving, what good and right thing can happen to the society? If we do not bring about social change by lawful agitation, can the government bring about lawful development? The law cannot be used to wrong the right and rule over the innocents. Justice cannot be silenced or done away by the one in power in the pretext of doing good things as civil administrator of the district. It will be revealed by law in the hand of the just Judges and the truth will be seen above all devices played by those who try to tarnish or manipulate the laws to suit his/her corruptive interest.
The organizations urge and apprise the Government to honestly understand the deep concern and goodwill intention of the move initiated in the welfare service rendering its voluntary mission in the interest of the people of the state in general. The Organizations shall continue to serve the interest of the people extending our best cooperation to the people’s democratic government to further the progress and development of the people of the state.
***** The writer is the President of RNYO
