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Front Page >> Editorials > Story

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All About A Holiday?
We really do not understand the rationale behind the decision of the SPF Government to strike off Gaan-Ngai from the list of State holidays. We definitely agree that the number of holidays in a calendar year is way above the desired level and we would certainly welcome some efforts to reduce the number of holidays and thereby increase the number of working days. 

The benefits of such an effort need not be stressed for it is clear that more number of working days mean more productive hours and this automatically means economic progress. However the very purpose of the Government stands defeated if prudence and maturity is not applied while taking any decision to reduce the number of holidays. For a place like Manipur, which is home to a number of communities each professing their own set of beliefs and practices not to speak of the differences in religion, extra care should be taken to see that no decision of the Government has any room to hurt the sentiments of any community. 

A perfect balance should be struck when any decision is taken by the State Government. However this very need seems to have been overlooked by the SPF Government. To the Zeliangrong people, Gaan-Ngai is the biggest festival and striking off the festival from the State holiday list is sure to disturb the sentiments of not only the Zeliangrong people but also all the conscientious people who understands Manipur as a multi-ethnic and multi-community abode. 

Understandably there has been a wave of protest against the decision of the Government and amidst the wave of protest one welcome and interesting thing to see is that the protests have come not only from the Zeliangrong people but also from a number of civil societies representing a cross section of people. At least this gives us hope that Manipur is today a thriving place offering a place under the sun to a number of communities who understand and respect each other.

However much we disagree and protest the decision of the SPF Government we would also like to raise certain pertinent points for all to delve into. As is evident during the last few years everything or rather every issue has been interpreted along the line of the territorial integrity of Manipur. Moreover almost everything seems to be viewed along the valley and hill divide. Keeping with this trend a number of civil societies have come forward and stated that the decision of the Government to delete Gaan-Ngai from the State holiday list will prove inimical to the integrity of Manipur. 

We do understand and empathize with the hurt sentiments of the Zeliangrong people, but the question we would like to raise is why should the decision of the Government be protested along the integrity line? What has integrity and social cohesion between the different communities got to do with the decision made by the coalition Government? This is what we find disturbing. 

Protest, we should, for it is highly unethical to ignore the sentiments of a particular community but that should not be interpreted along the line of integrity, territorial or social. And of course the threat to boycott Ningol Chakkouba is even more absurd. Every one of us have the right to protest against any decision that hurt us but in doing that let's not reduce everything along the line of integrity or communal ties. 

It should be clear to all that any decision taken by the Government should not be read along the line of valley and hill people and of course we would also like to lay down that the SPF Government should not be seen as representing the interest of a particular community. We also hope Chief Minister O Ibobi and his Council of Ministers will rectify the wrongs and retract the decision to delete Gaan-Ngai from the holiday list. Remember we are talking about the sentiments and values of a community.

(Courtesy: The Sangai Express)

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