For many, I know that it would sound boring (not challenging) and the obvious ‘oiroidaba, kaanaroidaba’ reactions may strike the chord of most of their unused brains. That is very natural. Cynicism has always been an achievement amongst us. We are very much prone to negativism. But if you dare (yes I said DARE) to break that cocoon of cynicism and at least lend a helping hand to reconstruct and reform our society, trust me you would forever feel proud to tag yourself a Manipuri. A change is desperately sought in our State. If this change doesn’t happen, let us happily share a ‘paangdaba’ as a suffix or prefix with our names. Let us also sell our self-respect and morale at the keithel at a price much cheaper than onion or potatoes. If we want to win the battle, we have to fight at the cost of anything. Superheroes are mythological, they suit better only in comics and will never ever turn up to fight on our behalf. Let us get real, let us get acquainted with the issues and find means to let the wind of change blow in Kangleipaak.

If you are still cynical and not yet ready for this change, you need not waste your time reading this article to the end. Give up, and tag yourself a loser and go to hell. For those who believe in change and are ready to be a meaningful part of it let us share this affinity, find means to connect one another and YES, voice our grievances together. Enough is enough! Let us stop being a prey of mindless politics, let us also stop playing the blame-games. Let us together sow the seed of ‘Change’ for a better Manipur.

The Assembly Elections 2012 is knocking on the door. It is a decisive time when we will get the opportunity to make our representatives accountable for the nature of our collective life that we lead in Manipur. It is the right time to raise our voices to fight for our well being and dignity. It is the right time to spread awareness in our families, leikais and kendras, and not to get carried away by the buttered talks of candidates or political parties—not to buy their votes and not to support proxy voting. Our issues should also be their issues, if not then they should not contest for the elections. I know it sounds challenging to generate awareness amongst the hoi polloi. But need we worry when there are various means to do so? Music is a lingua franca that connects all of us across the world. Why not use it as a principle means to sow the seed of change in our State? We have a good taste of music. Why don’t we fine-tune this taste and spread awareness amongst ourselves to bring a change in our society? In Manipur, for all these years, rock music has always been misconstrued and tagged with drug and sex. Let us evolve ourselves from that mentality. Let it be rock, let it be pop, let it be any genre—why don’t we make music a common thread to connect and reconnect with one another?

Vote for Change : A rock concert is on its way this 10th November. If you think it’s just another musical concert, you are hopelessly WRONG. Starting with this event, if we make the most of concerts like this, themed on a common cause, the push-button to take our common cause to the next level is as easy as learning ABC. Phoenix, Brothers featuring Jagdish, Fringes, The Dirty Strike, The Wishess featuring Basav Dutta etc are the performing bands of this musical solidarity show.

If you abhor violence, if you detest bomb blasts and killing of innocents, if you hate callous politics and economic blockades in the State—SPEAK OUT, BE A PA-RT OF THE CHANGE. Let us work it out together. We can start dreaming of a better Manipur without the bl-oodsheds, without the hatred, without the mindlessness amongst politicians. We just need to unite and create a common cause. Let us make a collective pledge to avoid leading wretched lives, let us also make this rock concert a means to voice our grievances. Come be a part of the change, be a part of the musical solidarity. Cheers!

One of the endearing aspects of social networking through Facebook is the narrowing communication gap amongst people from all walks of life. The kid from your leikai whose swasti puja you once attended sends you a friend request, that boring guy/girl from the next leikai suddenly sounds the most interesting person you have ever met and what’s more, your very cousin or sibling prefers to write on your wall or pass comments on your posts instead of talking over the phone. Needless to be surprised, with more than 800 million active users across the world, Facebook is perhaps the mother of all the social networking sites ever introduced on the worldwide web. It would not be a surprising factor to know that Facebook is more than a mere site through which one networks with friends and acquaintances. From breaking news to broken relationships, from the latest fad in town to the most conventional discussions, the site is one of the in-demand places on the ‘www’ where everyone loves to spend a good time either connecting to new friends or reconnecting with long lost old friends or acquaintances.

If you have lately missed watching television or reading books of your interest, you need not worry at all because you have been spending a pretty good time on Facebook? Reading and commenting on interesting posts from various friends, watching hilarious videos and yes accessing minute by minute news updates on any issue.

One of the hilarious updates ever read on the site was ‘Manipurda Yu-haar haarey hujik’. One would bother less about how his/her family or near and dear ones during the earthquake, but YES it’s very important to share that breaking news with friends on Facebook. Now isn’t that a magical effect of Facebook? Like an outsized yet flamboyant umbrella that shelters all and sundry, everyone stands under it waiting for some fresh updates with ‘like’ buttons ready to click anytime.

On the funny side of the site, it is sometimes weird to find out that there are some face-bookers who are either busy creating fake accounts or trying out different means to hack others’ existing account. Uncanny though they sound to us, that is their ideal manner of social networking. So, can any of us dare to blame them or call them names? Forget it! We should be glad of this very fact that we can make thousands of friends and at the same time block or report abuse hundreds of them. We have a liberal choice that is not even provided by the State or country to use the right buttons through which we can balance or justify anything or everything that is happening around.

As mentioned earlier, Facebook is one such favourite site where one can connect or reconnect with new and old friends. Known strangers, forgotten friends, a long lost colleague or a distant cousin, one can search anyone on Facebook. No blamed-shame, no damned game, it’s just a place to have sheer fun with friends—both new and old.

The best attribute of Facebook is that it doesn’t discriminate people. One doesn’t need to feel low or high. A copy-pasted sense of humour also works wonder for any individual (try at one’s own risk though). And most importantly, it saves your phone bill to a great deal. Try and believe me. Let me cite just a simple example. The other day I was talking with a cousin on the phone. We were talking on random topics about our very leikai and other usual titbits. Without any astounding reason, the topic somehow switched to Facebook. We giggled telling each other how almost everyone from our Leikai is on Facebook and how its fun to pull one another’s leg there on various dedicated groups about our leikai/Kendra. We abruptly ended the conversation telling each other ‘Oh come on its waste of money talking over phone, let’s pull others’ leg right there on Facebook so be online as soon as you can’ Stingily-strange though it may sound, I almost consider that Facebook is one good means to save your phone bill.

Pale jokes apart, I earnestly believe that it is a high time we finally admit it and rejoice our keen association as interesting citizens of the ‘Republic of Facebook’? Hurray!! Internet Lairembigi Mapaari Mark Na Yaifarey!

Ever since those Doordarshan days, we have been fascinated by the various brand commercials of various products telecast via television. We, in fact, grew up singing and humming various brand anthems and slogans such as Yahi Hain Right Choice Baby, Dhaara Dhaara Shudh Dhaara, Tandooroosti ki Raksha Karta Hain Lifebuoy, Lifebuoy Hein Jahaan Tandooroosti Hein Wahan Lifebuoy etc. How can we ever forget those commercials with which our childhood memories are closely entwined? We still remember the slogans, names and even the dialogues of some of the best brand commercials we have watched then. All thanks to advertising!

Advertising is one of the full-fledged sectors that contribute a major share in the Indian economy. However, in Manipur as well as in the entire North Eastern States, it is a less popular sector with just a few players in the field. For those who are already in the field, they must be pretty aware about the revenue that advertisements generate for a particular brand or business. Advertising can never be termed as an unwanted tool of marketing. We need to digest this very fact that without advertising, brands are dull and lifeless. Entertaining and informing us about various products, services and even ideas, advertising is an art of communication however at a tagged rate. An investment to generate revenue—this could be one of the simplest understan-dings of Advertising.

The lookout for a secured career and also the limited understanding of people from our society are perhaps two accountable reasons that haven’t popularised advertising as a career option in our State or in North East India. But it is not a big deal as long as we can discover new means and measures of promoting advertising industry in the State. One cannot predict like an Amaiba or Amaibi that ‘Advertising industry will do wonders in Manipur’, yet if we give a thought on it maybe we would come up with an IDEA THAT CAN CHANGE everything. The most expensive thing on this blue planet of ours is IDEA. Even our CM has got plenty of ideas on his mind which is the sole reason why he has been ‘fevicoled’ to his post for all these years (Punch Line: Fevicol ka Jor Hain Tutega Nahin). Well, from my humblest point of view, he is one of the pundits from whom I can learn many innovative strategies on advertising (in a different perspective though).

Well, choosing a career in advertising was perhaps the last thing that crossed my mind. However, I must admit, it is one interesting field where one is not restricted to think within a square room. The best part of being a citizen of advertising planet is that any weird idea or a crazy tactic can be deployed to impress target customers. And from A for America to Z for Zimbabwe, the mind can travel places, choose its own theme and come up with the right tricks and techniques of communicating the brand message to a particular target group. Freedom of thought and expression, implementation of liberal ideas and presentation of inimitable yet copyrighted stories of one’s own—all these are possible on the advertising planet.

I happily share my fraternity with every advertising professional who eats advertising, sleeps advertising and dreams even advertising. The euphoric journey is so far worth anything. Though it is a new challenge to come up with a new theme, trick, tactic or even a tip of branding, it is sheer fun to be a part of this breed of crazy-minded professionals. If we observe around, there is always an advertiser within each one of us—one who wants to share or promote his or her hidden skills, one who wants to be noticed by everyone, one who loves to be praised for what or how s/he is. I did once share an update on my favourite social networking site Facebook that everyone is an advertiser in disguise, some advertise their emotions, some advertise their humour while some advertise their frustrations. So, my bottom line is that we all share one affinity when it comes to advertising.
Let us cherish it forever!

From generations, we have always overlooked the state crises due to the ineffectiveness of the state machinery. And we as a responsible citizen of the state are doing nothing but silently watching our state go from bad to worse. And the last thing that we all have to say is “Oiraroi”. We have forgotten to reason and ask ourselves why we are in such a terrible situation.

We have forgotten that voting is our birth-right and it is solely our personal choice on whom should we cast our vote. We rather prefer to consider it as a duty and not a responsibility and so, all that we care about is to cast our vote following the whims of the politicians without making an effort to know what the respective candidates can do to improve the situation of our state.

Why do we prefer to blindfold ourselves and move on with the tide instead of fighting against it? Dear brethrens, the General Election, that is a couple of weeks away, is the wake up call for all of us. It’s now or never! Let us for once not give in to the false promises and sell our votes. Let us stand together for righteousness with a strong foothold and make things happen.

All the way, we have been glad to miss the Jackal’s presence around us but have been sad to see that they have passed on their legacy to the new breed of meowing dogs. The most shocking revelation is that these ‘meowing dogs’ are not foreign-bred or unfamiliar ones, but those with whom we have grown up together, shared plates of rice during childhood days, stood by us through thick and thin. From Leikai thaabal chongba to nupi program chatpa, they have been with us for all these years. We have shared bitter and better moments of life with them all these years, counted on them for anything. 

Back to this horrible time of our civilisation, weren’t we happy the day we heard about them joining the system and that they would help clean some of the filth and trashes? Weren’t we hopeful, wishing them heartily on their new venture of being a meaningful part of the State’s machinery? All wishes and hopes in vain, they have turned hostile in their attitude and so far reduced to mere ‘meowing dogs’ who simply follow invincible masters’ orders. If their masters tell them to ‘meow’ they are shameless to meow anywhere, when their masters ask them to meddle up, they know no bounds to irritate or disturb the innocents. A shameless breed of creatures who can even yell out to aging ladies at the keithel or Leirak Khulak—the same aging ladies who might have once fed them with love plates of rice and scrumptious insaangs with their sons, the same old ladies who have treated them equals to their own sons or daughters. Another shameless deed they have mastered so far is eve-teasing. They have crossed the limits too far. 

It is annoying to see these meowing dogs all around us. They got a damn good justification from their part when it comes to misusing power. Yes, misusing power is another art they have impeccably mastered so far, in as much as they have in being so loyal to their masters. The moment their masters shoo them away, they start meowing like anything. Cantankerous though it sounds for us, they are the masters’ favourites, the pampered-pedigreed lots, in a nutshell, the inglorious bragging breed. Akin to their attribute and attitude with the jackals, they represent themselves as the law-keepers of Modern Manipur. They are equally responsible for the bloody state of affairs that’s happening in Manipur. 

It’s disturbing, it’s scary, it’s alarming to have them around us when we are supposed to feel safe and protected with their very presence. They have changed their colours like chameleons, they have been trained as otherwise-not mere police personnel with duties and responsibilities, they cannot think and act logical. All they react at is fallacious ‘orders and commands’. In short, they are owned by the lousiest possessors under the sun. Instructed and insinuated to indulge in blatant acts, trained for misconducts, well-versed in eve-teasing, they think they are performing their duties dedicatedly, baah!

It is not going to matter how much we despise them because they are simply insensible creatures. Their minds are boggled, their conscience does not work anymore, they cannot figure out wrongs from the rights. In short, they have been promoted to a new breed of unruly buggers and gundas instead of mere law and order keepers of the State. The local-bred dogs (REAL ONES) have so far been shamed to death seeing these meowing dogs. 

There are rumours that most of the local-bred REAL DOGS have sought for retirement plans and have been relocated at the far country sides much aloof from the vicinity of the town. They have perhaps done the right thing. Someday, I would love to pay them a humble visit and share a sumptuous feast together. Let them enjoy their solidarity away from the hustle-bustles of city life. To Hell with the Meowing Dogs!

Instead of trying to find an answer we prefer to blindfold ourselves and make an escapade through merriment. We fail to realize that even if we leave the problems alone, it won’t stop haunting us. So long we don’t perish, it will continue to drive us crazy, robing away our peace of mind.

Failure is ours for we are not willing to face it. Back in school we leart, “Failures are the pillars of success”. But the phrase don’t seem to have a place in our lives. We have let our own gut-feeling defeat our pride. We are so engross in our selfish motives that we have failed to reason with ourselves about right and wrong.

All that we look for personal or materialistic gains. What matters is our own comfort. Sadly, this sort of feeling have developed into a trend. And we name it as Reality! Ask anyone about it and those who ignore this things will be declared as insane and those who appreciates this kind of thought will be referred to as a sensible and sane person.

All that matters is the dressing style, A1 lifestyle, hi-fi status, fashion and a lot more things inclined to materialism. The state is going through economic crises but we can’t afford to miss the festive occassions. We can’t afford to miss the opportunity to take part in Thabal Chongba, blockades will go on and can be tended later on, that too only if we have time to spare.

We can forsake things of state importance but we can’t forsake our personal benefits. Oh, what a thought! One who commits atrocity is a criminal, one who does not fight back (whom we often refer to as victims) is a bigger criminal but the biggest criminal is the bystander, who despite seeing and knowing everything turns a blind eye and keeps quiet doing nothing.

Either ways we will be criminal but what matters is the type of criminal we wish to be. Should we fight back or watch silently? What is our legacy to the next generation? Should we die with pride or should we live with humiliation and disgrace? It is for us to make the choice, for us to carve the future for our generation, the next and further on.

With globalization taking over the current generation, there are many ways people can make money. Many an avenues have opened up for easy money making. A complete fresher can start off as an entrepreneur with zero bank balance and if s/he is lucky enough then s/he can be a millionaire in a fortnight. There are various ways of earning money.

Also with the intrusion of the World Wide Web, it has been made even easier. The whole world is money driven today and is rapidly moving forward to a direction where there is no looking back. But the scenario is quite different back home. We have the capability and potential to outshine everyone else but we lack the basic resources that are vital. Yet money comes easy. I doubt if there are any other place in the whole of the world where money comes so easy!

In fact, Manipur is one such state where anyone can make money very easily. Following are some of the tips to make easy money in Manipur:

1) Create a “LUP” and start sending demand letters to every household overlooking how hard they are trying to make both ends meet.

2) Become a part of a government agency and you will get big fat green papers underneath the table at the behest of false promises. “Bribing” is the exact word for it!

3) Form a Union and become a leader. You will find easy cash flowing in.

4) Form an insurgent group of say about 5-6 members. Get hold of a country-made gun (I bet even a toy gun will suffice) and start spreading rumors about your group to instill fear among the people.

5) Join the security forces and start with Gundagiri and collecting haptas from the rickshawallas and the red light areas.

Make Money Instantly Today!

Become a Lishingpati or a Lakhpati if not a Crorepati… Life comes cheap in Manipur. A life cost Rupees One Lakh. At times, it varies from 50,000 to One Lakh Rupees depending on the circumstances which led to the death!

For Investors Only!

- Get someone killed for Rupees 20,000 only and get One Lakh Rupees in return…!

This is the true face of Manipur that most of us deny to accept. But how far are we going to run away from it? How long should we continue to turn a blind eye? Because of our fear to face the truth and accept the consequences we as the people of Manipur are losing our integrity. We are losing the right to live in peace. Despite the potentials that we and our people have, we don’t have a choice but to lay low. Whether it’s in Manipur or outside Manipur, all of us are living our life in straitjacket!

It seems it needed some students to initiate a  price check campaign , that after 40 days the tie-coat suite loving,  english speaking Imphal DC , have finally got himself out of his comfy chair and decided to do a price check list from our ‘VERY POOR ‘ businessmen , who are striving hard to make some money during this crisis time .

I am fortunate to hear this news from one my freinds on facebook and thought of sharing this .a price list have been submitted by the ‘POOR SHOPKEEPERS’ community and have submitted a price list of commodities being sold in Kawramband Keithel . here are some of the price list – price list is the 10 pc charge on retail price. Here is the price list….

1) Hangam Thou (Mustard oil ) 15 kg tin—–Rs 1320 to Rs 1350 per tin

2) Pam oil 15 kg tin—–Rs 1200 to Rs 1220 per tin

3) Potato—–Rs 22 per kg

4) Onion—–Rs 35 per kg

5) Hawai Mang-gan—–Rs 38 per kg

6)kang-tak ( matar ) —–Rs 41 per kg

7) Hawai Angangba —–Rs 52 per kg

Rice Punjab—–Rs 12 to Rs 12.50 perkg

9) Rice assorted Haryana—-Rs 20 per kg

10) Rice Andhra Parmal—–Rs 24 perkg

11) Sugar—–Rs 26 to Rs 27 per kg

12) Chana—–Rs 55 perkg

13) Sagol hawai (Arhar dal)—–Rs 62 perkg

14) Atta—–Rs 925 per 45 kg bag

15) Moida—–Rs 975 per 45 kg bag

Dear Readers  , I know that it is hard stepping out from our own comfort zones and but it would make a huge difference if we could step out especially during this time and share our concerns atleast with our words and opinions . These burecrats and ministers need to be told again and again especially by right thinking educated individuals for in such we can build a very vocal society where the voices speak sense and responsibility .

At the moment , we don’t speak for it seems we don’t even have the ‘courage’ to formed / voiced our opinions.Or is it lack of any ‘will’ on our part .

The DC took 40 days to do some of his duties which should have been done even before the crisis started . but how long are we going to take to even formed an opinion leave alone any formed of pro-active actions .

Or are we just going to find the reasons behind our lack of activity , the abscence of even ideas or is it just a reflection of a Laisu heitaba mindset where we are more focus on self serving ideas and works !!

Regards

B.Elangbam

Coventry , UK

21 September 2011 : The ongoing blockades in Manipur entered 52 days on 21 September. Even by the prevailing norms in the state where blockades are imposed with religious regularity by almost anybody- militant formations, civil society organisations, student outfits, tribal bodies – this time around the siege has gone wee bit too far, with no end in sight.

As people in the state struggle to meet their ends with scarce commodities, this is an attempt to explain the issue at hand and examine the options for the governments in Imphal and New Delhi to put an end the current logjam.

Issue at hand:

Upgradation of the Sadar Hills sub-division of the Senapati district to a full-fledged district.

The issue is at least two decades old. Incidentally, the Manipur State Legislative Assembly has twice passed resolutions supporting the creation of the Sadar Hills district. Creation of this new district is not an easy proposition for the area under the Sadar Hills, and largely dominated by the Kuki tribe, is seen by the Nagas as part of their traditional homeland. Both Nagas and Kukis have fought bitter internecine clashes through out the 1990s resulting in deaths of hundreds.

The biggest stumbling block before the issue, thus, has been “one posed by ethnic contestations over territory informed by archaic notions of ethnic homelands”. The issue also highlights the division between the Hill and the Valley areas of the state. Geographically, 90 per cent of the State area is hilly and contains 41 per cent of the population. The rest 59 per cent of the state’s total population, are located in the Valley, housing the state’s capital.

The Key Players:

1. Sadar Hills District Demand Committee (SHDDC): Consisting of Kuki tribals, the SHDDC since 31 July 2011 has blocked NH 39, which connects Imphal with Dimapur (in Nagaland). It also has blocked NH 53 that connects Imphal with Assam.

2. United Naga Council (UNC): In anticipation that the SHDDC agitators may have their way, this apex political organization of the Naga tribes within Manipur on 21 August imposed its own blockade along all the other highways (NH 39& NH 150) leading out of the state, thus effectively cutting off the state from the rest of the country. UNC opposes the creation of the district on the fear that the creation of the district would split the Naga population and would further put their ultimate goal of being a part of a unified Nagalim that brings together all the Naga inhabited areas of Nagaland, Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh under one administrative unit in jeopardy. The UNC further insinuates that the demand for Sadar Hills district is part of a sinister divide and rule policy by the Government of Manipur, indirectly hinting at a machination by the valley based Meitei communities who they feel are against the Nagas.

3. Manipur Government: Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh has promised the SHDDC that a final decision on creation of the Sadar Hills district would be made after the Committee on Reorganization of Administrative and Police Boundaries (CRAPB) submits its report in three months. The first meeting of the state chief secretary-headed Committee on Reorganization of Administrative and Police Boundaries (CRAPB) was convened on 15 September to seek people’s comments and opinion on remapping of district boundaries. Meanwhile, several civil bodies have appealed to the government not to rearrange the boundaries on the basis of religion, language or communities.

4. New Delhi: It has resisted intervening as the issue remains an internal political problem in Manipur and has remained free from ethnic violence. Any intervention would be seen as a bias in favour of or against particular tribes. Thus, it believes that this situation is better handled by the State government. In any event, Manipur police is 20,000 strong, and has 10,000 police commandos at its disposal. In any event, the convoys of trucks are being provided security by the Manipur Rifles personnel and Indian Reserve Battalions (IRB) battalions along with central forces, the BSF, CRPF and Assam Rifles, although full safety of the vehicles has not been ensured. Six trucks including two carrying medicines were burnt down by the UNC protesters at Nungkao area under district along NH 39 on 16 September.

Options before the State Government:

1. Force open the Highways: This would appear to be the easiest of solutions. However, all the Highways passing through the state obviously can’t be kept open by security force presence all round the year. The state would require at least 20 dedicated battalions of security forces for the purpose. Neither the state nor New Delhi can afford this. The other option is to concentrate only on Highway 53 that connects Manipur with Assam and is less troublesome to keep operational. However, this Highway is simply unusable in its vast stretches. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO), which is the repairing agency, has set a deadline of 2013 to complete its work.

2. Create Sadar Hills district: It will placate the Kukis, who would then lift the blockade on NH 39 and 53. However, the decision would annoy the Nagas who would continue the blockade on rest of the highways. The decision will certainly have a spillover effect in Nagaland, where the Nagas would eventually impose fresh blockades on NH 39, which passes through Nagaland. It has happened so many times in future and will recur. The Manipur state government, which now can still get its supplies through convoys of trucks under police and security force protection into the valley areas, will be completely at the mercy of the Nagaland government. New Delhi can intervene in that inter-state conflict scenario, but the danger is that the conflict may also take dangerous turn towards vicious inter-tribal violence between the Nagas and Kukis in Manipur, a worst case scenario New Delhi would try to avoid.

3. Do nothing till the storm passes over: This is a policy the Ibobi Singh government has been frequently accused of. Blockades demanding creation of the Sadar Hills district is almost an annual ritual, for past several years. On previous occasions, protesters have gone home after deliberations and assurances by the state government. Only this time, this has gone on for so long. Since there have been multiple resolutions in the Assembly favouring the creation of the district, the government can’t now reject it. But an Ostrich like policy will keep the issue alive, allowing it to return in possibly worse forms.

4. Get the Nagas and Kukis to talk to each other: On paper, it may sound fine, but is a highly improbable scenario, given the acrimony both communities bear towards each other and also, the hostility they have towards the state government.

5. Create the district, but under different names: As a respected editor friend of mine Pradip Phanjoubam suggests: “The state government could experiment with things like naming the proposed Sadar Hills district as Senapati (South) and the old Senapati as Senapati (North). The point is to send out the message to those demanding as well as opposing the formation of this new district that the new district has no other intent than administrative convenience.”

6. Do nothing till a humanitarian crisis forces the New Delhi to impose President’s rule: Presuming nothing improves, the closing act of the state government may be a transition to the President’s Rule to avoid a humanitarian crisis. As Pradip Phanjoubam opined, “This is not so much about punishing the government for allowing the situation to go out of hand leaving the state with the distinct possibility of completely descending into total chaos, but instead of finding a way out of the present dangerous problem.” This unfortunately looks to be the only way out of the present impasse.

Source: Kanglaonline.com

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.