The nation is preparing to celebrate the 67th Independence Day with much fanfare. Sensing probable disturbances from unwanted elements security has been beefed up across the country particularly in the capital city New Delhi where the main function of the day is going to observe. In the state of Manipur too the state government is working out whole heartedly to celebrate the day. Security has been beefed up across the state to foil any attempt to sabotage the celebration. The government has logistic reason to take extra ordinary care for grandeur celebration of the day.There is no guarantee that various anti social internal forces which are being fuelled by external elements will not try to sabotage the celebration of the day. And every action is justified even though it breaches the privacy of some of the responsible citizen of the country.The search operation being underway at various part of Manipur as security measures to ensure the Independence Day celebration might also have logistic and justifiable reason. It is the duty of the law enforcers to filter the anti social elements which are potential of making disturbances to the Independence Day celebration.But is it justified to harass the citizen by making them stand for hours in the name of flushing the anti social elements? Since the last few days many people , mostly innocent civilians were called out from their homes and make them stand for hours while the police are conducting verification of one after another. Some were reported to have been picked up for further verification but almost every one of them was released the next day. The kind of message which literary means that the search operations were conducted not only for filtering the outlaws but also to prove to the higher authority that they are doing something to ensure security measures.So when the police are all out to their way to please their authority, they are harassing the local people who are preparing themselves to celebrate the Independence Day. While standing in row for hours while the men in khakhi are verifying one after another, the kind of thinking that, “Are we the second class citizen?” sometimes comes to the mind.When the state government needs to seriously tackle with those civil society organisation leaders who had openly announced to stay away for the Independence Day celebration, one wonder why they have been directing the police to harass the people in the name of conducting search operation. 67 years is a long year to recognise the importance o human rights of the people. It is time that government of the free India need to throw away the colonial attitude of the British government.
