Reeling under Dengue, now ASF Blocking free flow of information

The all important question is, what steps has the PR administration taken up to deal with the outbreak of African Swine Fever,  a non-zoonotic, viral disease that has reportedly infected a large number of pigs at Churachandpur and Kakching. Equally important too is the question of what steps has the Government taken up to deal with the increasing cases of Dengue ? Answers to these questions would be appreciated, but it is important for all those in positions of power in the PR administration to ensure that there is free flow of information to the public. Cutting off information to the public by gagging the mouth of officials who directly deal with Dengue or are associated with taking steps to deal with the onset of ASF cannot be taken as ensuring efficiency.  Manipur got sensitised to the possible outbreak of ASF on November 3 this year only after the Manipur Progressive Pig Farmers’ Association went to press detailing how a number of pigs have fallen prey to the outbreak of an unknown disease. As mentioned, this was on November 3 and it is only on November 13 that the Director of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry officially announced the outbreak of the disease at Kakching and Churachandpur. In between voices of apprehension had already been raised, but in all these days nothing official on the disease came from the side of the Government. Manipur is lucky, lucky in the sense that ASF is non-zoonotic, meaning it does not affect humans, but if 10 days is the time taken to officially announce the onset of a disease as contagious as the ASF, then one can only gasp at the ‘efficiency’ of the PR administration. Any high school student will say that this is not how a State should be run and those holding positions of power and authority in the PR administration need to come down from their high horses and talk the language that the common men understand. This is about a disease that affects only animals, pigs in this case, but take a look at the rising cases of Dengue. As thing stand right now, the number of positive Dengue cases has already reached 4912, which is double the total of 2443 logged in 2024. More than apparent that Dengue is today no longer a seasonal disease but perennial and this is where one is left wondering what steps the PR administration has taken up to deal with the outbreak or whether it is more concerned with blocking free flow of information to the public. And surely giving out information on the Dengue outbreak is not classified information ! In a way it is disturbing to note that the present regime has been foisted on the people amid the humanitarian crisis that Manipur has been under for over two years now.
The PR regime and the officials who come higher up in the pecking order of this arrangement may be under the impression that they are not answerable to the people for they are not elected representatives, but it stands that they are responsible for running a welfare State. PR is not dictatorship and it is surely answerable to the people.  It is time for Raj Bhavan to wake up to the need to keep the people informed on the steps taken up to deal with immediate issues and the outbreak of ASF and Dengue certainly fall under the category of immediate issues. Let there be free flow of information, keep the people updated. This is the first step that should be taken up and leave the job of tackling the disease to the health experts. Administration is all about informing the people on important developments and letting them know what they ought to do after consulting the experts in the field. Why is there no regular briefing of the media on the outbreak of Dengue ? Why has the Union Health Ministry deemed it fit to issue the advisory to all that there should be intensive information and social media outreach to promote or enable community participation to take the fight to Dengue ? Why have these points not registered in the consciousness of the suited, booted officials in the PR administration ? Or is the indifference an indication of telling the people of Manipur that they can go, take a hike, as long as the Dengue carrying mosquitoes do not disturb them ?