| Elastic Laws
We hope it is only a coincidence that the ban on polythene wrappers and carry bags was to come into effect from April 1, the day in the year generally referred to as the All Fools Day. On this day, people are supposed to excuse and forgive practical jokes, even if they are nasty and in extreme bad taste. It must however be admitted with a good measure of satisfaction, the fad of such puerile revelries reserved for those with an excess of leisure in hand, have been on the wane generally.
For the record then, on April 1, plastic bags and wrappers are still very much around and in use, although many who are more aware of the developments in the state, have generally adopted the attitude of wait and watch, with very few willing to bet on the success of the ban. What is interesting, and consequently the point of this editorial is that a larger section of the people are either unaware that there is a move for such a ban or else are not serious about it in the manner it has become their wont not to treat government edicts as worth too much botheration.
We too confess we share this nagging feeling that the ban will not work. It is sad that we are forced to anticipate a failure even as the ban comes into effect. It is sadder still that in the event of its failure, the place would have lost the opportunity to rid itself of a pronounced and ever growing eyesore that is ruining the profile of our living environment.
However, we are being critical on the issue not out of cynicism, but concern. Our skepticism is with the intent to nudge the government to do more in the regard. For we do believe that we have been slowly but surely choking ourselves with the piling of plastic wastes everywhere. To come to the point, we do feel that the newly installed Ibobi government has not done enough on the matter. On the other hand, it has softened the stand of the earlier government by making the ban conditional.
Hence, as of today, recycled plastic will be spared the ban. As to who will decide the plastic in the market is recycled or not, it has not spelled out. In any case, the modification will only mean that polythene bags will not be allowed front door entry, but will continue to be at liberty to use the back door. There are other reasons to convince all that the Ibobi government is at best lukewarm to the proposition. A ban of the magnitude, modified or not, needs much more than a government notification for its success. It need a concerted and imaginative campaign, aimed at convincing the general users - to which category we can confidently say all, rich and poor, young and old, belong - that the ban is for their own good.
A campaign that can even elicit voluntary participation of the individual citizen so that it becomes more in the nature of a voluntary sacrifice than abstention out of fear of reprisal of the law. It would not at all have been a bad idea to think of involving grassroots organizations, students bodies etc., to spread awareness.
It could have even thought of persuading the local youth clubs to make "plastic ban" the motto of the Yaoshang sports. Organizing a marathon or a cross country walk, would also have been in place. It was however encouraging that even before the ban was announced, in some of the districts, students and youth took the initiative to shoulder the onus of getting rid of the plastic menace.
(Courtesy: The Imphal Free Press)
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