Let us not forget the sacrifice of our beloved Robin Hood

Alexander Sapam *

Sit-In and Rally to protest Killing of Student by Police firing and pro-ILPS on July 12 2015 :: Pix - Shankar Khangembam

At this time of unfortunate event, let us not lose our sight of our goal and most importantly not forget the sacrifice of our beloved Robin Hood – a friend, a brother and a son. Let not the ugly face of hatred and resentment drive our actions and foul our hearts with futile agitation.

But let the undying love and respect for the dearly departed bring us together, unite us in strength to prove his death has not been in vain. Let us not lose track of our goal and turn his death into a personal vendetta of us against them scenario because that would be mocking his death and disrespecting what he stood for and gave his life for.

Let us remember he gave his life for our goals. Not for me alone, not for you alone, and not for any single person alone and obviously not for himself but for all of "us". So let's refrain from turning his death into an excuse for us to exercise our own greedy agenda which has been the case mostly in our motherland.

The least we can do to show him gratitude is thrive towards our goal which he stood for, struggle in the right way together to achieve that goal (ILP). You may ask what are the right way and the wrong way.

I have seen people on streets, young "YOLO" kind, without a formal education perhaps or never-in-class kind of student during school hours, high from some substance abuse, shout profanities which I'm pretty sure they can't even spell, backed by some head of local (Leikai) organizers, who I'm also sure has very little education themselves, and even lesser moral probably, because it seems too obvious that they are oblivious of the greater predicament at hand as their actions have been nothing short of pitiful.

They have turned this unfortunate plight in a war against the Commandoes to settle their old score. I mean if that was the case they could have done it before without so much drama and disturbance to normal day to day life. They could have done it without the death of our beloved Robinhood.

Hurling stones, breaking properties and then running away. It this why Robinhood gave his life for? So some of you can have a little fun, settle score, break stuffs and show your ugly hooliganisms?

Is this why he stood in front and rallied on that un-fateful day and gave his life? NO GODDAMIT! NO! NO you shall not burn properties and then run away laughing and shouting profanities to your heart's content in the name of ROBINHOOD! NO you shall not hurl stones and break properties in the name of ROBINHOOD! NO you shall not excuse yourself to behave like wild Hooligans with "me against the world" mentality in the name of ROBINHOOD! Do not mock the death of a brave soul with your pitiful abominable way of life.

Yes police force of our state is horrible but that's not what we are in this together for. We are not together in this to have a little war against them, bash their cars with pellets and stones, and run away.

Their uncivilized and animalistic behavior is not why we are standing together today. We are in this together today because we have lost a friend, a brother and a son of our motherland. We are in this together to show respect to his death.

We are in this together to show him that we will continue to struggle for our cause for which he gave his precious life. We are in this together to protest against our spineless, corrupt government who has no regard for its citizens and their rights whatsoever while they sit on their high horses and make merry with the revenue sanctioned for the betterment of the state.

We are in this together to show ROBINHOOD and his family that even though he has departed from among our midst, he still lives in our hearts and will not let his untimely unfortunate death is in vain.

Friends, brothers, sisters…MEITIES! For once let's not make a death be an excuse to stack in our own personal gain like in the past.

The past cannot be changed and the death cannot be brought back. But what we can do is learn from the past, never let it happen again and hopefully honor Robinhood's death by standing together against corruption, standing together for what's right and standing together as one for the greater cause of us Meiteis and for our Motherland.

Hwro hwro lu-ching purel
Theng-le matam
Tok-lo noigi pangdabado
Chin-le pungfam