Pressing need for sanity to prevail: Govt should find solution

    16-Oct-2019
Sanity should prevail. And key board heroes and heroines should rein in their loose writes on the social media, needlessly inciting passion, verging on hatred. There is nothing heroic about the venoms being spread via the social media and the call of Chief Secretary Dr Suresh Babu to put a halt on the propaganda via the social media should be understood and appreciated. If things take a turn for the worse, it is not the key board warriors who will be at the receiving end but the villagers, far removed from the safe confines of the rooms where the key board warriors are punching in their venom filled words of bravado. Just recall some of the gory days of the past and the victims have never been the suited, booted so called social leaders who have had to face the brunt of the harsh reality but the villagers, the poor folks, who most probably do not know the battle lines being drawn up in the cosy rooms of those who yell out the war cries. Not yet a war, but if people refuse to see the reality then there is no guarantee that it will not be a confrontation nearing the stage of a war. The State Government should leave nothing to chance to nip the trouble in the bud and recognise the need to maintain peace and tranquillity. This commentary is not about which side carries more weight, but it is significant to note that even the All Manipur United Clubs’ Organisation has urged leaders concerned to revise their stand. Judging by the manner in which the issue has snowballed into a sort of a confrontationist stand, one cannot brush aside the possibility of history repeating itself and that would be a tragedy for the land and the people.
This is where the State Government may step in and upgrade the Anglo-Kuki War centenary observation to a State level function. A special ground may be set aside with a special tomb for all to pay their respect to the souls who laid down their lives during the course of the Anglo-Kuki War. Such a move would not send out any message that can be interpreted wrongly and if such a suggestion comes from the side of the Government it would be in the fitness of things for all sides to agree to. It is also disturbing to note that the tremor from the stand off has reached other parts of the country where there are large number of Kuki and Naga students, with the Kuki Students’ Organisation of Delhi apprising the matter to the Prime Minister. Not the time for one upmanship and leaders of either side need to come to the reality that nothing good  or positive can come from the stand off and it can only escalate. Let the Government do its job and let responsible civil society organisations also urge all not to become key board warriors from the comfort of their rooms for it is not they who will face the brunt, but the villagers. It would also do good for all to rein in people who are given to vocalising hate words which do nothing except spread hatred.