Attack : Far removed from boycott : Language of violence
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: October 25 2016 -
Boycotting the visit of a political leader is acceptable.
However bombing the visit of the particular leader cannot be accepted at all.
Seen along this line, the boycott call issued by the Tangkhul Naga Long on the visit of the Chief Minister and some of his men to Ukhrul to inaugurate some projects is acceptable and can be seen within the tenets of democracy where people can lodge protest against the policy and programme of a Government.
But not the violence that erupted and was seen all over Ukhrul town when the Chief Minister actually did pay the visit on October 24.
The violence cannot be justified under any circumstances.
Just how much the Congress Government and more particularly Chief Minister O Ibobi is loathed in the hill districts can be seen from the manner in which the Government of Manipur has been dubbed as ‘communal Government of Manipur’ by almost all the Naga civil society organisations of Manipur.
That this ‘communal Government of Manipur’ thought should morph into the attack that was seen at Ukhrul on October 24 is what is not at all acceptable.
Does not need a genius to work out who was behind the attack and New Delhi should take note of this.
Not to derail the peace process between the NSCN (IM) and the Government of India but to take note that it is dealing with an outfit which is ready to go to any length to state its stand.
This ultimately will be a great disservice to the Naga people as a whole, the people who the NSCN (IM) claim to represent.
Turn the boycott call into an open attack and everyone with any sense should condemn this.
On the other hand, the ease with which the armed men carried out the attack is damning proof that the security measures taken up ahead of the Chief Minister’s visit were a total failure.
From the moment words got out that the Chief Minister was to go to Ukhrul to inaugurate the projects, the Tangkhul Naga Long had sounded the boycott call and even imposed a public curfew at the places where the Chief Minister was scheduled to visit.
What happened to the much trumped up intelligence inputs of the security forces ?
What is the understanding of area domination to the Assam Rifles ?
A scary thought it is to even think that if the visit of the Chief Minister can be jeopardised with such ease, what will happen to the lesser beings who find themselves at the wrong end of the people who carried out the attack on the Chief Minister and his men ?
It is also important to question whether the attack on Mr Ibobi should be seen as something more an than attack on the Chief Minister of a State of the Indian Union.
For the sake of the land and Manipur, it is the fervent wish of The Sangai Express that the attack is not given too many interpretations that may take on an uglier manifestation.
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