Three plus one also makes four : Sangai fest=Traffic snarls
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: November 22, 2012 -

Opening Night of Manipur Sangai Festival 2012 on 21 Nov 2012 :: Pix - Bunti Phurailatpam

November 21, 2012. All roads led to Hapta Kangjeibung.

Well not all but almost all. The reason ? The Sangai Festival kickstarted on this day this year.

It was the same story last year too. An obvious indication that the Government and its officials cannot understand that it is not only two plus two that makes four, but also three plus one that makes four.

The show has begun, well almost begun, since many of the stalls were yet to reach the stage of opening on the day the official inauguration of the festival was held and what is going to be commented here may not have much of a bearing now.

But this is besides the point. A festival is not only about showcasing it. It is not only about razzmatazz and lighting up the place.

It is about planning and effectively executing the work at hand. Planning and efficiency are two sides of the same coin and planning a State level festival should not only be about programmes and stalls lined up but studying and understanding the impact it would have on the people.

Particularly traffic or vehicular movement. Obviously traffic problem is not unique to Imphal, but this is no reason why no thoughts should be given to the likely impact the Sangai festival would have on vehicular movements.

On any other 'ordinary day', the roads that lead to Hapta Kangjeibung are always choc-a-bloc with traffic. Diverting traffic can only go some way in easing the flow of vehicles, on a day when all roads, almost all roads, lead towards this destination.

A case of refusing to move out from the Imphal centric mentality, the commercial areas of the capital, if one may add.

Vehicular movement literally translates into greater mobility of the people.

And this reality defeats the pre-conceived notion of the Government that a State level festival has to be held in the heart of the city to attract the largest possible crowd.

This is not how the world works and certainly this is not how a State level festival should be planned. Getting the venue right is important, but in this age and time of greater mobility of the people, the heart of the city as the right venue no longer holds water.

The venue should change. Perhaps the old air field at Koirengei would be a good alternative.

Or the foothills of Ngariyan Ching on the way towards Andro ?

It has been the same case with the fish fair held on the eve of Ningol Chakkouba every year.

The dogged refusal to study the likely impact that any event would have on the movement of the people came out in all its glory when the State Government celebrated an anniversary of the Congress party at Mapal Kangjeibung last year.

The Sangai festival has just started but already the bitter taste of poor planning is beginning to come to the fore. This is not going to help the State showcase itself in any way.

All the glitter and eye catching stalls put up at the venue of the festival would fade into oblivion when viewed against the backdrop of the severe traffic snarls in Imphal.

Add the fact that this is the wedding season and one can only imagine how poor planning in managing an event can make life miserable for the average man or woman out for the day's shopping.