THEY, THEM, THEIR
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: October 14, 2013 -

Though not unexpected altogether, the outburst of Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam, who is also in charge of the Home, over the bomb attack at the complex of Autonomous District Council (ADC) at Shangakpham, to be more specific, at the residential quarters of Chairman of ADC Ukhrul John Raleng in the evening of October 11, was something everyone close to him in the political circle or otherwise must have taken quite by surprise.

For one, Gaikhangam was speaking in a language and tone that no other politician born or breed in Manipur have ever dared to speak and the public ever expected to hear from the political class even in their wildest dreams and imagination.

Secondly, Gaikhangam, though seething with anger, was simply at his best in playing the part to a perfect 'T'.

Without ever taking the name of any armed underground organisation even once from a slip of his tongue or out of control from anger, Gaikhangam succeeded in making it crystal clear to everyone who listened to him or read the report about it as to whom he was referring when he said 'them', 'they', and 'their'.

This was something that not even those who have earned the nicknames of grand-old men or fire-brand leaders in the political history of Manipur could think of coming an inch closer for comparison even.

While the grand-old men or fire-brand leaders are good at playing with words only, our man from Nungba has been so plain and simple that everyone was made to understand and see the hand behind the cowardly and uncivilised act of violence.

Yes, Gaikhangam was hitting out at or giving back, whatever it deserves, to NSCN (IM) (whichever way one may like to look at it and understand).

But he has done it so well under the veiled of 'they', 'them', and 'their' that we can very well expect the Naga rebel group, which seems to have been fallen into a death trap after pursuing peace talks with Government of India for more than 16 years, to react and come out with a statement very soon.

Yes, the bomb attack on a political institution like the Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) in the backward hill districts of Manipur, which were revived after more than 20 years of ups and downs at the request and demand of the people concerned so as to ensure taking care of the developmental issues in the hills is condemnable, to say the least.

And yes, there can be no justification for such acts of violence and intimidation.

Just as Gaikhangam has wondered, it is interesting to know that the 'mother of all insurgencies in the Northeast', who has even encouraged her delinquent foster children to severe all ties with the Government of Manipur, should come down to such a low level in intimidating and attacking the ADC members, who are non-existent entities for her and her children, in the first place or indulging in the affairs of churches and elections of social organisations.

While this is indeed a great come down (in the light of which the people of Manipur need to brace up for more stormy nights and days), one question, which we, of course, would like to pose to Gaikhangam and all his political ilk here, is, who has or have actually made this 'mother of all insurgencies' encouraged and go insane in running its writ large everywhere even in places where their ceasefire pact with Government of India is not applicable?