Scripting a high octane drama Offering free air ride

Not without drama. It is a multi-authored script, perfect for a high octane drama. So even as the COVID-19 cases continue to climb fast approaching the four figure mark, the power game that is being played out on the political turf is stuff that would put to shade some of the spiciest thrillers that have come from the celluloid world. Adding to the spice is obviously the questioning session that a former Chief Minister is set to be put under by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Add the latest announcement from the State Government that no schools should charge fees from the students for the months of April to July and all schools, read private schools here, should pay the teachers and the script is ready to make the days interesting. Making things all that more interesting are the freebies that have been put on offer by some of the schools specialising in the plus two level  to attract the star performers in the just announced Class X board examinations and the resultant voices of concern raised by some student organisations and the stage is set for some interesting days ahead. Manipur surely knows how to churn out interesting scripts or invite interesting scripts coupled with all the twists and turns and the free air ride offered to four MLAs, who recently walked out of the BJP led Government, has all the ingredients to add that touch of mystery and excitement while to those genuinely concerned it could be a case of worry and tension ! No one knows how things will proceed in the days to come, but one thing that is sure is, Manipur does not lack the needed ingredients to make the days ahead spicy and exciting and disgusting too depending on how one looks at it.
Given the current reality, it is difficult to say where the focus of the Government would be at the moment, that is on June 24, 2020 or will be in the few days ahead. Is the concern about the rising positive cases of COVID-19, the cluster spread of the virus within the many quarantine centres or the likely development from the announcement of the Government that no schools should charge fees from students for the period April to July or the political developments wherein four MLAs have reportedly been offered a free air ride, superfluous  ? Anyone’s guess is as good as the guess of this newspaper, but this is not the time to indulge in guesses. Manipur certainly cannot work on presumptions and assumptions while dealing with coronavirus and the rising positive cases. It certainly cannot afford to just sit back and relax an announcement that schools should not levy fees on students from April to July and at the same time ask them to pay the salaries of teachers and other employees (That the schools have been categorised is another matter) is issued. It is amid these uncertainties that the new political development with all its twists and turns has been added and the only thing that can be said with certainty at this point of time is, the new developments would not have gone down well with any thinking citizen of the land. What happened on June 19 should be enough but obviously this has not dawned on the high and mighty and they are intent on riding rough shod over the sensibilities of the people and this is something which cannot be digested. Focus on COVID-19. Focus on the economy of the land. See how the local economy can be revived. See how to help the thousands of people who make a living driving the auto-rickshaws, selling vegetables, running the leikai tea stalls, and study how they can be put on track after the months of lay off. This should be the duty of the Govt and not the tamasha that one sees now.