Time to ponder where the future of our children is heading towards

Philem Surendra Singh *

Manipur, a land painted with natural beauties, the hills, the lakes, the rivers, the green fields, the flora and the fauna, has always been a dream destination for many tourists from around the world. Its cultural diversity shines like pearls on the surface of gold.

Inhabited by people from diverse communities, diverse culture, traditions and religions make it a mini-India. But it is very unfortunate on the part of all the communities residing in Manipur that ethnic clashes have been a routine event one after another among the different communities for decades now, thereby confusing people on the idea “unity in diversity, a myth?”.

A wildfire broke out recently which doesn’t seem to stop anytime soon, a wildfire in a beautiful green wood where various flora and fauna enchant the eternal love of mother nature. Against the will of God, the wildfire has destroyed everything turning this beautiful land to a graveyard, taking more than hundred lives and making thousands homeless. Isn’t it now the high time to ponder for the future of our youths and future of our Nation?

Everyone seems to have understood the root cause of whatever is happening, the people, the Government and the world, irrespective of what is being claimed by many groups. But the situation has reached such a point where only the Central Government can put it to an end. But no appropriate action has been taken up so far to stop this menace.

Many questions are coming up in peoples’ mind. Why the Central Government seems to be only watching while the turmoil doesn’t seem to end anytime soon ? What are the things that the Central Government is actually looking at the present crisis from their political point of view, away from their responsibility to protect lives and properties of common people ?

Is the Government thinking of finding a way to put decades long issue to an end taking advantage of the present crisis by simply playing with the lives, emotion and future of the innocent people ? Does the Central Government have the genuine concern of the National security and the welfare of its citizens ?

Or is the Central Government using border people just to show their intelligence and strength to the neighbouring countries ? Is deforestation of 15400 acres of land, only for the plantation of poppy not enough threat to the future of the Nation ? We are hurt with videos of small children taking care of poppy plants seen on social media. They are supposed to be in school.

How much the minds of the youths must have been affected with the drug related news almost everyday all these years ? They are the pillars of the Nation. Youths died of drug overdose even in the relief camps. What is happening in this beautiful land ? Shall we leave everything as it is? How will be the future of our youths and the future of the Nation if we allow this to continue to happen ?

In spite of knowing everything, why is the Government still silent ? Would the Government’s take on the issue have been different if the SoO pact were signed with both groups of the two communities ? If that is the case, is the Government thinking that resolving those issues is more important than protecting lives and properties of the common people ?

Or is the Central Government simply enjoying the show while the communities fight, waiting for it to come to an end by itself ? If that is the case, isn’t it inhuman ? Is the Government of a secular democratic country supposed to be this way ?

Forget about the Government not taking up appropriate measures, what is going on in the minds of the common people of every community in Manipur ? Have we lost the essence of co-existence ? At least we all have understood the importance of co-existence at this moment.

Is humanity completely lost from our hearts and minds ? No, we all hear how we saved each other from the mob in this hard time. We understand by its nature, a mob is driven by emotions which is not based on the actual truth in most of the cases, if not all.

As we all know, when emotion steps in, reasoning steps out. We all have witnessed how much we have suffered only because of a spark thrown by some but have probably lost their minds. Are we letting them play with our lives and future of our children ?

Are we willing to accept the future of our children this way? Why aren’t we all together raising our voices against this law breaking menaces ? Why aren’t we all together raising our voices against druglords and narco-terrorists ? Why aren’t we all together raising our voices hard enough against the failed governance ? Are we silent out of ignorance ? Are we being misled and misused ? Or are we silent out of fear ?

If we are silent out of fear, what about the future of our children ? Who are responsible for all the damages done ? We, the public ? The Law-breakers ? The social influencers ? The failed governance? Or those who stand against the Govt?