The Kuki students protest in Delhi on March 23, 2007 against the abduction of more than 400 Kuki villagers near the Indo-Burma border, destructive menace posed by planted Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in villagers frequented routes, paddy field and forest in the hills of Manipur, and the massively silenced hurdles the villagers are made to bear in their abnormal life bring forth yet the same old denials of truth, which already failed to find a space in our society, by and large, today.

When truth failed to occupy that special space, justice for the wrong done ought to be indeed unexpected. Of course, truth will remain truth but justice turns injustice. The expectancy of such a deserved and demanded justice also withers as time passes, which is precisely what the perpetrators of crimes and their acquaintances sought. Look at the denied justice to the rape victims of Tipaimukh.

Doing right what has been done wrong has become a far cry. Probably, the tugging at the other end, opposite the conscience of humanity is far too stronger and greater. We may ask, could this really be happening and be possible? Why not, after all this is Manipur, the land of shambles, isn’t it?

The protest rally of March 23, 2007 held in Delhi that turned violent resulting in the serious injury to more than 20 participant students, around 20 Delhi police personnel, detaining of more than 130 student protesters by the state police, the brutality and inhumane treatment of the protesters of both sexes by the police personnel, sexual assault and molestation of women protesters, the vengeful tactics applied by the police personnel in dispersing and arresting the students, the ugly face of racism that controls the state machinery, false charges forcefully labeled on the detainees – all reflects the seriousness of things gone wrong in a state and non-state governance. The governed are forced to face the brunt of all the things ugly.

From the psychological perspective of distraught victims the peaceful protest turned violent can be attributed to a long endured frustration and muffled voice, at last shouting to be heard. Enough is enough! We want to be heard of our sufferings.

Yet in spite of the number of hospitalised and arrested protesters during the rally (could as well be recorded as the largest by people from the Northeast region in the capital of India), apprehension is reserved on whether justice would be delivered still. As ever expected, the government will remain unmoved and would continue to be a mute and silent spectator.

Nevertheless, the rally, however, reflects what is being felt of the government indifference and deliberate ignorance to the plights of the victimised peoples in the hills of Manipur. And as we cry out against the brutality and cases of molestation of women of the police state in the capital city during the protest rally, we also need to be concerned of the unnoticed but same brutality that is being confronted in the far-flung hilly areas of Manipur both by the police state and non-state actors. How do we try justifying the unvoiced violence the people in those areas are going through? There can be no word of justification. It does not even come near to our humane conscience.

Disturbing voices passed along talked of a recent visit of an MLA, along with the CM of Manipur, to the seriously injured hospitalised protesters at the Ram Manohar Lohia hospital in Delhi. It has been quoted that this MLA (who incidentally was in Delhi during that time, for an official visit probably) while speaking to the injured actually blamed the students for the high-handedness they received from the state police during their protest. He was also reported to allegedly call the hospitalised students as terrorists.

If the unarmed and innocent protesters, of a just cause for an abused people, were so easily tagged as “terrorists”, what labeling would be most appropriate for the armed state and armed non-state actors, and the peoples’ own irresponsible representatives and corruption infested government? Who are now the deserving terrorists?

Moreover, in an interview with the Asian News International (ANI), the MLA when asked of the circumstances that led to this ugly incident replied by squarely blaming the students for their excessive behaviour during the protest. It was also said that the MLA advised the students to concentrate more on their studies, for which they are in the capital city, and not to destroy their career by participating in protest rally and demonstrations.

I have to admit, the MLA is right to a certain extent in his concern. At the same time, it would be advisable to go beyond that point of concern, where every issues is in shambles with no available solution to the pitiable condition the people are made to live through years and years. Bravo to our elected public leaders for creating such a pathetic situation for us.

Would the fatherly conscience of the elected representatives fare well when faced with such an innocent question as to what they are doing in the face of the lurking threats to their own people’s survival? Are they busy flipping and playing with some dirty money, again?

What has subjected the bright-careered students to come out to the streets in protest against the inhumane treatment their fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters are facing at home? If they had not voiced their concern through such protest rally, would an armed struggle or just a mere receiving of a degree from some colleges or universities save their people from different forms of discrimination?

If not them, then who is going to ask for justice? What significance does their careers and achievements make when their people and land are left to rot and vanish? If we put up an argument saying that it is not the job they should be involved in, then whose job is it anyway? Does those entrusted with the “job” do what they had to do?

The protest rally was, as I see, a social awakening to revolutionalise our dying and ailing society. There is a need to question the accountability of our elected representatives and also to hold them responsible for not doing what they ought to do for long time gone.

Is it not a discriminatory excuse saying that victimised villagers in the remote areas are to be blamed for the state of affairs they are currently confronting? Do we lamely put it this way that they are getting what they fittingly deserved at the first place? Do we tell the poor, lecturing them that they are so because they are merited to be?

When does the poor’s thumb impressions become important?
Why are ballot boxes filled up and for what reasons?
What is being expected from those elected representatives?
We cannot just let life go on this way forever. Should we?
How long should we?
So many answerable but unanswered questions lurking around.

I am reminded of the Black Eyed Peas number – where is the love?

Conscience, conscience, where are you?
Let us glimpse a bit of you!
At least to dream on for the far, far away justice we longingly craved.