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For the last many decades Manipur, as in other parts of the North East region, has been wracked by insurgency and though the State Government as well as the Centre has been maintaining that the only way to solve the problem is through negotiations, we have not seen any concrete action forthcoming from the side of the Government.
Successive Governments in New Delhi and at Imphal have been parroting the same line but the problem, instead of easing, has been increasing with the passage of time and it will not be easy to predict when such a clime will be created for the underground outfits to come to the negotiating table and talk things over with New Delhi.
Perhaps the boldest move from the side of the State Government came during the short but eventful tenure of the Secular Progressive Front Government headed by Radhabinod Koijam, when the Chief Minister announced a unilateral cease fire with all militant groups for one month. That was a bold move and if we may add, that was certainly one of the toughest decisions made by a Chief Minister of Manipur in a long, long time. The year 2003 has also seen one significant development.
The address delivered by Chief Minister O Ibobi during the peace rally organized at Malom on February 2 veered away from the beaten track, when he announced that we would be missing the target if we were to dub the underground cadres as misguided youths. This is a sharp departure from the stand adopted by the Centre, which has always toed the line that the underground cadres are misguided youths, who have to be brought back to the mainstream.
For any opposing groups to come to the negotiating table and chalk things out it is imperative that the two sides try to see other's viewpoint sincerely and honestly. And surely dubbing the underground cadres as misguided youths is not the way to go about it. If New Delhi is intent on finding a solution, it has to first accept the point that the underground organisations may have genuine reasons for taking up arms to wage a war against the Indian Union.
Chief Minister O Ibobi seems to have realized this point if his statement at Malom is any indication and that is why his address was such a refreshing change. Apart from trying to bring the underground organisations to the negotiating table, New Delhi would also do wise to think out ways on how to win the confidence and trust of the common people. For long, innocent civilians have had to bear the brunt of excesses committed by the men in uniform, all in the name of counter-insurgency operations. Extra efforts should be taken to ensure that the psyche and sentiments of the people are not trampled by the security personnel.
Excesses committed by the security personnel will only add to the acute sense of alienation amongst the Manipuri people and it is this the Center should be aware of. In the ultimate analysis, what is needed for New Delhi is to acknowledge that there is a problem at hand, the people should be respected and not exposed to brutality and humiliation and accept that the underground organisations may have some reasons for taking up arms.
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