Leader Writer: Paojel Chaoba
Enemies may become friends and friends may become enemies, they say that there is nothing permanent like change. And what we need today is change for the better.
We as Manipuris have seen a fair share of irrationality and vexing issues since attainment of Statehood back in ‘72. Before that, the historical background also is replete with war mongering and dispute amongst the royal lineage or rather-we have a ‘bad history’. Some problems still continue to persist in one way or other till date and someone or something always have always taken advantage of that disunity.
We as a public who are still living in the shadow of the AFSPA, had suffered enough, have sacrificed enough and still hear the lament of the children and women. Would we ,who have borne ethnic clashes, suffered month long economic blockades, suffered atrocities from both state and non-state actors , thwarted the greater Nagalim agenda with blood, and putting aside corruption and AIDS, are really concerned about a border fencing issue or an Inner Line Permit system for real! Would the daily wage earner and the underprivileged majority worry about a border pillar or are they more concerned on getting the money for paying the admission fees of their child?
The answer though depends on the individual capacity and experienced wisdom of those carrying a movement forward. But, it was the farmer, the daily bread earner or the simple man who took to the streets when Manorama was raped. It was ordinary women and not the ministers or officers who had the courage to shed their clothes in front of Kangla gate; saying enough is enough and shaming the Assam Rifles to hand over the key of Kangla to the public.
Things change continually and who would have thought that the Ava raiders who decimated Manipur back in 1819 and responsible for the ‘Seven Year Devastation’ and viewed as arch enemies of Manipur at some point of time, are now welcomed as full-fledged guests of State. If one was to still hold a grudge for what happened then, would we be called progressive? It is not the identity of a sound mind to dwell on the ‘ill history’ but to rather bring developmental change and in another way of putting it- ‘Looking East.’
It is the iron-willed woman who cries out now on television, that people want her to be martyred and to not live a normal life. She laments of not wanting the AFSPA issue to be her ‘sole responsibility’ alone, but rather to be a collective effort to purge the draconian act.
Well! It is within her own right to stop fasting as she has starved enough for those, those who at a rumor run helter-skelter to buy up salt stock. Imagine, nose feeding for a dozen years and we are worried about salt procurement! It is high time that we let her do what she wish and we as a public, take her place at the fasting table instead. To negate this is to say that AFSPA is not ours to protest, but is Sharmila’s lone fight.
What opportune time then for the rallies and strikes to be held en masse with banners of “Remove AFSPA” when Manipur has opened its doors to the world and the so called first international flight has landed?
A true revolution is always needed to rectify the ills affecting a society, though the revolution may come in myriad forms and the revolutionary may be dressed a rickshaw driver, a clerk sitting at a desk, a teacher with his chalk and not reserved solely for armed men. A revolutionary may be the aged man telling moral stories to the grandchildren to imbue the children with honesty, love for his fellow human beings and to fight for the truth, thus paving the ground for an ethical generation.
For a revolution seeking to overthrow an oppressive regime, it is known that without the support of the masses, there has been no successful revolution yet. More, it would not be practical for the revolutionary to think for the people, but he should rather think with the people. Otherwise, the revolution may be termed as one carried out by the revolutionaries, for the revolution- but only for a few leaders. The point is that a collective effort, physically and mentally from the masses is needed for bringing about change. And to seek co-operation from the public, the revolutionary should make himself be loved and epitomized by the masses rather than eliciting the hate and fear exuded by pseudo-revolutionaries. If the pulse of the public is not felt by the revolutionaries, then factually, the revolution will not march forward and become an emasculated one.
Conclusively, whether it be workings of an oppressive government, Irom Sharmila’s hunger strike, peace talks, ILP, ethnic demands of homeland, Look East policy and revolutionary movement, ultimately we must have change. But for change, we have to be truthful and also be unafraid to voice it unitedly.
The hope to bring about more smiles in people’s faces tomorrow if unable today, is not a vain wish and working towards it without fear is the ‘raison d’être’ or one’s reason for existence. It is time for the mute Kangla-sha to roar and for the public to wake from the zombic state and let loose a feral howl.
Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2013/11/for-more-smiles-tomorrow/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=for-more-smiles-tomorrow