Fitting tributes paid to Kishan, Token, Rajen Movements of CSOs deliberated

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Feb 17: The 11th death anniversary of Dr Th Kishan, Y Token and A Rajen, was observed at Mapari Ningsingkol, near Uripok Cheirap Court today, under the  theme 'Understanding the CSO movements in Manipur : Challenges and Prospects' today.
The event was organised by Mapari Ningsingkol Lup (MAPARI) in remembrance of the brutal murder of then Kasom Khullen SDO Dr Thingnam Kishan, his driver Aribam Rajen and staff Yumnam Token, by NSCN (IM) cadres in 2009.
Speaking on the occasion, Manipur Human Rights Commission (MHRC) Chairperson Khaidem Mani alleged that the political system of the whole country, including Manipur, which is based on capitalism, is totally corrupt and dirty and if one wishes to correct this system, then the electoral systems needs to change first.
Saying that issues and problems will always occur as long as the electoral system remains the same, Khaidem Mani opined that if the representatives of the people are elected in a free and fair manner, then the level of corruption will drop drastically.
This point should be noted and understood well by the CSOs, women associations and student unions as positive change to the electoral system can occur only when these associations perform their duties sincerely, he added.
Speaking as a panellist, retired Senior SP of Nagaland Police, Potshangbam Sonamani strongly condemned the brutal killings and said that the people who murdered Kishan, Rajen and Token, are ones who shout 'forgive and forget' in front of others but act like animals without any mercy.
Stressing on the critical role played by CSOs in shaping a society, he said that there are many who are still ignorant of this basic fact and there are even people who join CSOs but are completely unaware of their responsibilities.
It is also important for the CSOs to act in the interest of the truth and try and correct the mistakes of those in power. Apart from pointing out the loopholes in the budget conceived by the Government, CSOs should also keep track of the welfare and developmental schemes taken up by the Government, he opined.
The CSOs should operate without taking any communal direction, They should also have the courage to point out any wrong doings by either the hills or the valley communities and the integrity to abide strictly by the laws of the land, he added.
Urging the student unions and the CSOs to unite for the greater good, he further appealed to those concerned to abandon the trend of constantly leaving one association and then forming another.
Unity is strength. The CSOs of the State can learn many valuable lessons from how the Young Mizo Association (YMA) of Mizoram operates, he concluded.
On the other hand, Assistant Professor of Political Science Department, Arambam Noni said that a CSO is an integral part of a society and opined that bringing change to a society without the involvement of a CSOs is close to impossible.
It is indeed disappointing that the seniors and parents are teaching their juniors and children to keep mum when it comes to speaking the truth and how one should just quietly follow the fixed norms without any deviation. Positive change will come if one teaches the right values to one's children and the youth. In short, to save the society of Manipur, the existing misconceptions and wrong ideology should be rectified first, he claimed.
Explaining that a CSO is a non profit association working in the interest of the people as per the UNO definition, Noni opined that existence of a large number of such associations is not the issue.
The real point of focus is the objective and stand of these associations, he said adding that a CSO need to be the bridge between the people and the Government.
He said that CSOs should never get drunk with power and authority and reasoned that the people forming the CSOs should also refrain from acting in their self interest as it will only lead to rapid demise of the association.
Dr Kishan, Token and Rajen lost their lives because others acted in their self interest and resorted to politics designed for the benefit of a few communities or sections, he opined, stating that it is imperative for all the communities residing in Manipur to act only after considering what impacts their actions will have on each other.
As a part of the event today, a large number of people paid floral tributes to the photographs of the three departed souls.