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Public: Thou art the oxygen
The Assembly has already discussed the harassment meted out to transporters and passengers alike by armed persons on NH-53 with the redoubtable O Joy even going to the extent of calling for a military option to flush out the armed men from the highway. The Chief Minister has also announced that the Government is working on a plan to set up two security posts along the highway. And yes the local papers have also been giving due coverage to the plight of the drivers and passengers who are subjected to numerous hardships by the armed men on this route.
However amidst all these we are perilously close to shutting our eyes to the other dimension of the impasse on the highway. Since June 29 all vehicular traffic on this highway has been snapped and a few days later passenger service from Imphal to Tamenglong, Nungba, Silchar, to name a few places, have been suspended and the suffering of the people living along this route can only be imagined.
Is it really fair that innocent public should bear the brunt for the acts of commission and omission of certain armed groups which were formed in the first place to champion the cause of the public? Should the public be held to ransom because the action of some armed men have crossed all human behavior? Or should the people just resign to their fate and learn to cope with the hard time which was thrust upon them for no fault of theirs? These questions are relevant today and it would prove fruitful if the armed men themselves, the civil societies and voluntary organizations start studying and questioning the impact of the behavior of armed organizations on the civil population.
Manipur today is caught in a clap trap of every conceivable ill. With a Government that is there only to pander to the whims and fancies of Ministers and Government employees, it is imperative that the society as a whole are sensitized to the need and suffering of all the people irrespective of community or religious affiliations. So in as much as our sympathy lay with the transporters who have had to face the brunt of the armed men on the highway our sincere sympathy also goes to the suffering people of Tamenglong and its adjoining areas.
Remember just like the transporters and passengers these people are forced to suffer for no fault of theirs. Can a solution be worked out to ameliorate the suffering of the people? We are sure there will no easy answer to this but we would certainly like to see some efforts from all concerned to break the deadlock. It would prove beneficial if civil societies of Tamenglong and the adjoining areas meet the transporters and talk things over. When the people are caught between the proverbial deep sea and the devil the only alternative is to come together and try to thrash out a solution.
And yes all armed organizations need to realize that they have a responsibility towards the people and even in dealing with their adversaries utmost care should be taken to see that the public are not unnecessarily put to hardship. To draw an analogy we would like to say that the public is the water and armed groups are the fish and we all know what will happen to the fish if the water in the pond dries up.
(Courtesy: The Sangai Express)
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