Opinions- Bandh And Blockade Culture Of Manipur

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Bandh And Blockade Culture Of Manipur
By Lt. Col. H Bhuban Singh (Retd)
Among the officer corps of the three Defense Services of India, officers of the land Army are still known as ‘pongos’. On being asked, what ‘pongo’ meant, Air Force officers replied that it was a kind of bird which could not fly. So, I imagined if ‘pongo’ is a derivative of Penguin, a podgy bird with little wings, which walked only. Chambers Dictionary meaning of ‘pongo’ is a monkey or ape or services slang for soldiers. Anyway, the term seemed to have a derisive connotation for the foot-soldiers, who are bound by rule books, history, tradition, culture, discipline and blind-faith on seniors and what not. However, we cannot but feel that these sky-men are jeering at us, the foot-slaggers. Even then, Army officers are not angry; we are rather thrilled; for the magnanimous recognition granted for our ethos and pride. Indian Army, though dominated by Punjabi officers, had many jokes doing the rounds in Officers’ Messes at the expense of Punjabis. We used to taunt Punjabi officers as uncultured beings. Some of them would challenge our accusation and reply that Punjabis had lot of culture - in fact, the best of cultures, so they claim. Then, they would point out that agriculture was Punjabi’s best culture. This would produce an explosion of laughter. To beat the Punjabis in cultural competition, Manipuris have recently acquired ‘bandh’ and ‘blockade’ as our culture. A bandh call is resorted in Manipur even for any insignificant issue like the posting or transfer of a nondescript geography teacher of a mofussil college. The bandh call is then given a liberal gloss by painting it as a demand for legitimate and democratic rights of the general public. Thereafter, there is a mad scramble by politicians of all hues and colors, trying to up the ante by supporting the bandh. Everybody can see that it is nothing but political chicanery. Thereupon, young no-good doers got enthused. These idlers compete in besting each other on committing acts of hooliganism. Recently, a young pregnant woman died, when prevented at Lilong, from being taken to hospital in a car, during a bandh. This is not a democratic protest; it is gangsterism in its worst form. India is a free and democratic country. There is ample of liberty and freedom. Despite some marginal flaws here and there, Governments do topple and change after every election now, either in the Centre or in the States. People’s power is markedly visible. Congress was swept out of power by Janata Party under Jai Parkash Narayan in 1977. The same Janata Party after several splits got bundled out very soon. In India, all the required institutions for a democratic country do exist. So, we have to make our Government function on the lines of what John Adams said. “Ours is a Government of laws, not of men”. If there is a country, there must have, firstly, one integrated and proud nation, secondly, an effective Government and finally, a set of laws. In Manipur, there are many sub-nations or even tribal groups or ethnic conglomerates aspiring to free themselves from the Indian nation. Consequently, many provisional Governments with pockets of liberated areas exist, where rule of the lawful Government cannot be enforced. These Governments have Ministries or departments like Home, Finance etc. Over there, diktats of these underground organizations or local Governments run the show. The tentacles of these mysterious Governments reach out to all the nooks and corners or the land areas of Manipur. There is no safe bunker to hide. The only escape is to migrate from Manipur and live in Nabadwip or Jaipur or elsewhere. High ranking officials of Manipur are summoned to appear even at Camp Hebron and it is learnt that, to avoid harassment in land journey, some officials fly from Imphal to Guwahati and then travel upto Dimapur by train to reach the designated camp on the appointed day. There is so much pressure on some of the money-rich departments that about two months back, all the engineers of Public Works Department, right from Chief Engineer down to Section Officers resigned en-masse, creating an unprecedented and ugly scene. Also recently just in early October, employees of Electricity Department, right from Chief Engineer down to peons and chowkidars staged a dharna against kidnap or ransom. With the existence of a weak but official Government, I am doubtful, if freedom of press exists in Manipur. It is my misfortune to read many articles and letters to editors of dailies which are decidedly anti-national. I am sure, our, editors did not like to publish these rubbishes. But my guess is that editors are compelled to publish these write-ups. If, on the other hand, the outlaws take the umbrage of ‘freedom of information and news while trying to compel editors to publish their views, editors can also claim their freedom and right to reject any script. Alas! It does not happen that way in Manipur. Traffic is one way; editors had to publish the’ views of the other side of the fence. The atmosphere is sickening. Response of the Government of Manipur (GOM) on a bandh varies from indifference to nil. It appears that the State had abdicated its basis functions. Government may not be an anti-people Government, but is obviously an unconcerned Government. Fifty four days of economic blockade failed to arouse any sense of responsibility. Law courts have passed judgments that bandhs are illegal. But, when the over ground Government which is the law enforcing agency is impotent, law courts and law by itself can do nothing. Insurgents openly say that laws are for law courts only, not applicable to them. The impact of a bandh on the society in harmfully impressive. Normal life like office work, school and college attendance, trade and commerce, banking, business, religious functions etc, almost come to a halt. Daily wage earners like carpenters masons, rickshaw drivers, vegetable sellers, milk vendors etc, are hardest hit. All of them are angry, but cannot open their mouths. Not only that, the perishable consumer items like fresh fish, vegetables, milk etc gets decayed. A bandh succeeds largely on inflicting all-round destruction and inconvenience with no visible impact on GOM, whose attention the bandh-callers desired to draw. Therefore, the apodosis of a bandh is nothing but misery of the public. It should really be a weapon to be used very, very sparingly. There is, thus, every reason for Punjabis to feel proud of their agriculture instead of our bandh culture. This medium sized State known as Punjab, is feeding millions of our grain-scarcity States. Without Punjab, India cannot be a grain-surplus country. Verily, agriculture turned out to be the best of all cultures. On the other hand, the bandh culture of Manipur is the worst culture. We should cast off this bandh culture and free ourselves from this durable disorder.
(Courtesy: The Sangai Express)

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