Uneasy rests the head that wears the crown Rocking peace at Ukhrul
|
Uneasy rests the head that wears the crown and just a little after a month of taking over as the Chief Minister of Manipur, Y Khemchand must be beginning to feel the pressures mounted from all directions possible. While some have nodded in quiet encouragement to the meeting held with representatives of the Kuki-Zo Council at Guwahati on March 21, others have not been that charitable with many questioning whether the call to ‘forgive and forget’ is appropriate at this point of time. What is more, the residence of the chairman of the Kuki-Zo Council was attacked just one day after the Guwahati meeting, with reports coming in that the intensity of the attack took a turn for the worse as the night wore on. Add the situation at Ukhrul and one can sum up the unenviable position in which the Chief Minister finds himself in, just a little after a month in office. This is where one is left wondering how a free hand has been given to the desperadoes who have not hesitated in opening fire at Sinakeithei, a Tangkhul dominated settlement and situated along the Ukhrul-Kangpokpi district. The last report that came in, complete with pictures and all, spoke of how a mother and her son were pinned down by the relentless firing from Kuki militants for hours, before they were eventually rescued by personnel of the Mahar Regiment. This came about after 21 Tangkhul passengers of a Tata Winger taxi were abducted along the Imphal-Ukhrul route near Litan, allegedly right under the nose of Central security forces, and one is left wondering why there is nothing to show that there is a Government in place. Even as this commentary is being written down, reports of Kuki militants opening fire near Litan or towards Litan have come in and this is where one is left wondering whether the term ‘terrorists’ should be used instead of militants, according to suggestions received from many readers of The Sangai Express. It is the seeming free hand given to the Kuki militants or terrorists that is a cause for concern and of equal disconcer-tation is the seeming failure of the State Government to respond to the unfolding situation. Nothing to show that there is a Government in place, except perhaps when the VVIPs who come under the tag of Ministers and MLAs decide to move around in Imphal and in the process inconvenience the movement of everybody ! A shame it is. A burden that Khemchand inherited or a reflection that no thought has been given to the question on why civilians need to be herded out of the way just because the VVIPs need to move around ?
The task ahead is definitely tough. But this should be no reason to look away. As things stand right now, what is happening at Ukhrul can take a turn for the worse for even after the road blockade near Litan has been lifted, free movement still comes with an air of uncertainty. And the Tangkhul Naga Long has gone ahead and alleged of huge sum of money being imposed on the vehicles travelling along the said route. Has this come to the notice of the Government ? No answer as yet, but the fact is the Imphal-Ukhrul route was cut off for long and many had to rely on the helicopter service after waiting for days for one’s turn to come. As expected the Tangkhul Naga Long has already taken a serious note of the unfolding situation in Ukhrul and even Senapati based Naga People’s Organisation too has had its say. The UNC too must be watching the situation and if things don’t take a turn for the better in the next couple of days, Manipur could well see a new ‘theatre of war.’ This is where the Government would need to act and accordingly respond to the situation. What steps have been taken up by Imphal to defuse the situation in Ukhrul, particularly at Sinakeithei ? Not much have also been heard from the three Tangkhul MLAs of Ukhrul and Kamjong districts but to be sure they must be watching and studying the situation closely. Too early to say how things will progress in the next few days, but it stands that the situation at Ukhrul has been ‘allowed’ to continue like this for too long. No normalcy can be expected when one of the feuding parties is interested only in letting the guns do the talking and Sinakeithei stands as the mute testimony to this.
The task ahead is definitely tough. But this should be no reason to look away. As things stand right now, what is happening at Ukhrul can take a turn for the worse for even after the road blockade near Litan has been lifted, free movement still comes with an air of uncertainty. And the Tangkhul Naga Long has gone ahead and alleged of huge sum of money being imposed on the vehicles travelling along the said route. Has this come to the notice of the Government ? No answer as yet, but the fact is the Imphal-Ukhrul route was cut off for long and many had to rely on the helicopter service after waiting for days for one’s turn to come. As expected the Tangkhul Naga Long has already taken a serious note of the unfolding situation in Ukhrul and even Senapati based Naga People’s Organisation too has had its say. The UNC too must be watching the situation and if things don’t take a turn for the better in the next couple of days, Manipur could well see a new ‘theatre of war.’ This is where the Government would need to act and accordingly respond to the situation. What steps have been taken up by Imphal to defuse the situation in Ukhrul, particularly at Sinakeithei ? Not much have also been heard from the three Tangkhul MLAs of Ukhrul and Kamjong districts but to be sure they must be watching and studying the situation closely. Too early to say how things will progress in the next few days, but it stands that the situation at Ukhrul has been ‘allowed’ to continue like this for too long. No normalcy can be expected when one of the feuding parties is interested only in letting the guns do the talking and Sinakeithei stands as the mute testimony to this.