More than a case of missing men : Unacceptable casual approach
- Sangai Express Editorial :: February 20, 2014 -

The status of the two persons who went missing from Tamu in Myanmar is not clear.

What however is clear is the seemingly casual approach adopted by the State Government to the issue.

To cut a long story short, six Indians, all petty traders, went to Tamu after getting the due passes from Gate number 2 at Namphalong, the gateway to the other side of the international border on February 11 and while four of them returned, the other two went missing.

It was only when a large number of civil society organisations based in Moreh raised a hue and cry that the matter came to light.

More than nine days down the line and what has the State Government done ?

Depute an official of the rank of SDPO to send a written missive to the Myanmarese authority.

Not demeaning the post and rank of an SDPO but in entrusting the issue to a lower middle rank officer, the casual manner in which the State Government has been treating the issue is palpably clear.

The two men who are missing are not natives of Manipur, but from Uttar Pradesh and Maharastra.

It is here that the uproar raised by the Moreh based civil society organisations should be lauded.

Has anything been done to get in touch with the Indian emissary to Myanmar on the matter ?

Has the issue been highlighted to the Ministry of External Affairs and the Union Home Ministry ?

Only the State Government can answer these questions, but this is not the time to play footsie with the issue, for it goes beyond the case of two Indians disappearing without a trace in a neighbouring country which borders Manipur.

What is the response from the side of Myanmar ?

These are questions which should be asked and this is certainly not the time to play hide and seek.

The response, if any, should come to the public domain or if there is no response then this too should be made public.

In its truest sense the matter should be something between Delhi and Myanmar, but this should not mean that the State Government should sleep over the matter as the two men from India stepped into Tamu via Manipur.

All the more reason for the State Government to take the matter to the highest level and not be satisfied with merely entrusting the task to a lower middle ranked officer.

Something more needs to be done, especially in the backdrop of what has been happening to many North East people in the metros of India, especially Delhi.

To many Indians from other parts of the country, who cannot identify India beyond the Brahmaputra, the possibility of overlooking the fact that Tamu is in Myanmar and not Manipur cannot be written off that easily.

The chances of triggering a chain reaction, a reaction against people from the region cannot be written off, especially with the prevailing mindset amongst many Indians when it comes to the people of the North East region.

Time for the State Government to take the matter with the seriousness it deserves and take it to the highest level.

The civil society organisations of Moreh on the Indian side have already made its stand clear and it is somewhat of a tragedy that it is again the common people who have taken the lead with the supposed leaders expected to follow them.