Burning since May 3, but still so many unanswered questions

07 Aug 2023 00:00:05
Sir,
I’m a young soul, an indigenous resident of Manipur and a citizen of India. The return of BJP Government as a “double engine” under the leadership of Pabung N Biren Singh as a single majority in the 2022 Manipur State Legislative Assembly Election gave me several hopes on seeing the progress they have made in the previous term.
Unwanted incidents had happened from 3rd May 2023 and now the outcome we see has been horrible. Many events have occurred that could be intervened timely by the Government and save many consequences that we witnessed today. Several Questions come to everyone’s mind “whether the ongoing chaos in Manipur have Government’s hand or isn’t sponsored by some Government machinery ?”
I sometimes studied Indian Polity and asked questions to myself many a thousand times “Is this the type of democracy that we want to show to the younger generation?” “Where is the rule of law?” “Is the Constitution a lie to us?”
We are in the 21st century where our countrymen witnessed Digital India 2.0 and on the verge of achieving $5 trillion Indian Economy in the next few years. Yet in Manipur banning internet has become a regular tool for the Government to curb any undesirable event since decades undermining the growth of digital era in the field of technology, education, trade etc even when some States have proposed to include “right to internet” as a Fundamental Right and some institutions statically showed with figures about the loss in the economy for the same.
We have heard many successful stories and exemplary acts by the Indian armed forces in the past both domestically and internationally but where are they when the State needs them the most. We have 4th largest military and advancing equipment in the field of technology, but what is the use of it when her State was burned and many civilians were dead. Isn’t the Central Government capable of controlling some areas of 22327 sq. km and some sections or % of 2855794 population of Manipur (census 2011) which merged with her (India) in 1949 ? Or Is the violence a plan by the Government for a specific purpose to be served?
Manipur become a full fledged State in 1972. We are lagging behind (now) in many fields like education, per capita income etc. Taking the field of education, in Manipur modern education was started in 1890s. Manipur University came in 1980 as a State varsity and later became a Central University in 2005. On the other hand, Universities at Calcutta, Bombay and Madras were set up in 1857, Punjab university in 1882 and Allahabad University in 1887. Despite this people of Manipur are putting their best foot forward. COVID-19 gave devasting impact to the student’s community as a whole around the globe including Manipur. Students in Manipur faced irreparable loss during Covid pandemic yet they are facing similar loss due to present man-made disaster (violence happening today). Youth and students are the pillars of our country but in Manipur they are facing another dimension of loss in their career due to inadequate actions of the Government.
I saw hope, future and prosperity in the eyes of the youth and students of Manipur but now I see terror, violence and destruction in their eyes which will last many years and its impact many decades. Government should take up immediate appropriate action to curb the present menace otherwise the future of our younger generation is doomed which is a loss for our country.
Yours faithfully,
Tongbram Shivaraj Singh
Imphal.
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