Of war, wine and women
- Imphal Times Editorial :: September 22 2017 -

It takes a lifetime to build up a reputation but a moment to ruin it.

The adage couldn’t have been truer than for people who are constantly in the glare of the public.

It would indeed prove a difficult task for anyone to tread the line and balance the private and public side of oneself.

This is the inconvenient choice one has had to make when the decision to spend one’s life in the public domain is made.

And given the inherently instinctive nature of man, it would be an understatement to say that every step that an individual takes is fraught with temptations, enticements and influences that could and often lead to disastrous results.

A restive society such as ours is often a hotbed for various forms of enticements, corruptions and temptations as have been experiencing by the public till the present day.

War, by its very definition is the state of armed conflict between different groups- political, ethnical, social, religion of financial.

While there is a perceptible improvement in the situation in the state regarding administration of law and order, it would be a blunder for anyone to assume that the society has returned to normalcy.

However, credit must be given where it is due and it would not be much further from the truth to state that the Biren-led state government has managed to make exemplary headway in steering the society towards the path to peace and reconciliation and as a result the general feeling of the public has been an upbeat one.

The air of uncertainty and suspicion that was hanging like a suffocating shroud over the entire state has been lifted, replaced by a palpable feeling of bonhomie and appreciative gestures all around.

However, it would be a premature move to hark on the achievements if one could term it as such because the present situation should rather be viewed as a desirable beginning towards a long and arduous journey.

Wine, and all drinks alcoholic has been portrayed as a cause for many a misery in the society, and not without any reason.

And yet, it has been accepted and offered as a drink for the gods among some faiths and has been an integral part of rituals and cultures for since time immemorial.

And the so-called ban on alcohol in the state is but a half-hearted joke which is neither beneficial nor effective.

The issue should be on regulation and awareness rather than on total prohibition which only encourage unscrupulous bootleggers and spurious products, not to mention the loss of precious income to the state.

The most pragmatic solution would be to lift the prohibition and instead enforce strict regulations on sales and consumption.

Women have been proven to induce cognitive impairment in men according to scientific experiments.

Wars have been fought and dynasties have been laid waste on account of women since ancient times beginning with when Adam fell prey to Eve’s words despite god’s warning.

Cut to the present, our society is no exception and there are more instances than one would care to acknowledge of the influence and sway women holds over men who are in positions of power and authority.

There is the ever present threat of well-meaning and righteous leaders giving in to the emotional manipulations and wiles of women who managed to capture their attention and interest, and if the past is any indication it would only be right for the public leaders to exercise caution in this regard else all efforts and intents will come to naught along with their reputations.

The worst loser will be the public who will ultimately bear the brunt of such foolish indulgences.