Going through the pages of the newspaper, or any other write-ups being posted on the web, all that we get to read about is people raising their voice for a cause, fighting for liberalism etc… etc. The spirits of our people soars high and hats off to them for their courage. However, the question that arises is, are we really betrothed to the cause or is it simply a means to draw the attention of the media and the people? Come to think of it, don’t you think it is a dubious affair?

One may refute my ideas or opninons. And I seriously don’t have the answer for the question posed above   because I have neither stood for a cause nor supported any cause so far. A colleague, some time ago, asked me if I supported the cause for which Anna Hazare stood up. Instead of replying his question, I asked him if he had ever heard about Irom Sharmila Chanu. No doubt, Anna Hazare is fighting for a great cause. However, I feel it’s just a hot air

The wide attention from media all over the country made it an issue unbearable for the central government to overlook it. Had the cause been initiated by a low profile individual who has no hearsay in politics, then what would have been the result? Ain’t it very obvious? Keeping aside the cause, the issue turned out to be more like an issue with a hidden agenda, an agenda to draw attention from media and the public. The blame game will continue in politics and so will the tidings, but what will remain forever is the public as a victim.

The public will continue to sway and take sides with the belief that someday, somehow things will fare for the better. But nothing will change for the fault lies with the public and not the politicians. No doubt, they hold the dice but it is us who have let them have what they want. The fear that has been imbibed in our minds is our fault. The fear of being skinned alive just because of trying to point out that something is amiss or has been very wronged makes us turn a blind eye to the facts.

Just because of the fear, we fail to get the facts right and so we continue to support a cause judging by the response it gets from the media. So, why can’t we, for once, stand together and make ourselves be heard! Though we brag a lot about the country being a democratic country but the term democracy and its meaning seems like a sermon that has been passed on us to give some solace. Democracy in our country is but a name which is more brutal than the Communist or the Military!

Many of us refer to our state as “Moneypoor” and not Manipur for we have the notion that our state is one such state which is economically weak. But I feel that among all the states in the country, Manipur is the richest. As a matter of fact, I have not come across any state in the country that has been badly affected by bandhs, curfews, strikes and economic blockade so frequently. Even the trouble-torn state of Jammu and Kashmir does not have to go through the economic crises like our state.

You may say that I am trying to draw your attention through this piece and I won’t deny the fact. However, I admit the fact that though I am very aware of the present situation in my state and quite sensitive to the sufferings of the people there, I do not support any of the causes that have been going on till now. For my way of seeing the facts differ from yours.

What are we doing to solve the economic blockade that has been going on and off every now and then? All of us know the setback it causes to our state because of the blockade yet we still rely on the state machinery to solve the issue for us. And all that we do is sit and brag about it, cursing one another! How long should we continue to do this? How long will it take us to unite and stand together to fight? I cannot do it alone nor can you but WE can do it TOGETHER.