Time to take a united stand and let by gones be by gones
Time To Reconcile And Forget The Past To Built A Better Future

Jangmang Haokip *

'Cultural Integrity Pillars' signifying different ethnic communities that co-existed in the State since time immemorial :: Pix - Deepak Oinam

This is an open letter to the Kuki and Naga leadership of our beloved state Manipur to think big and act bigger so that life ahead is better than we thought today. Like other creatures of the earth we human being have enemies everywhere even within ourselves we have our own enemy.

The world of today is dominated and influenced by politics and the moment you fail to play the games of politics properly at the right time in the right place you will see your down fall the next moment where no amount of effort will be able to save you. Once you start moving downward you shall be like a frog trying to save itself from the awsomefull mouth of the snake.

The more it struggle to free itself from the mouth of the deathly snake the luckless amphibian found itself moving steadily towards the inner side of the predator's mouth. This is a painful story of the frog in the mouth of the sticky snake. This story is not only true to the defenceless frog but it is also true to the other creatures including human being. However, the best thing is, if the frog can stay away or escape before it landed into the jaw of the deathly snake.

Now let's come closer to the situation where we are today. In our state, four groups of community such as the Kukis, Nagas, the Meiteis and Meitei-pangals inhabit the hill areas and the valley areas respectively. This is the two distinct geographical areas that divided us since time immemorial.

Forget about the geographical divisions, except the Meitei-pangals, the other three groups are similar in more than many ways and they might belong to the same parents. But these similarities are a thing of the past now owing to the so many hard facts and realities. Focusing on same parental lineage and similarity points seem nolonger interesting to us. This point is very clear to all of us. Here I should not be balmed for doing the dirty job of hair splitting but I am telling the fact of present day society.

Now let us come a little futher closer to the point. Let's forget about others we have stated above. Though we belong to the same state sharing many common interests with similar traits, the degree of advancement and development between the the valley and the hills is so wide. To speak the truth, the valley people are well off and also better off than those of the hill brethrens in more than many way. In term of education, economy, population and others they are far better than the hill people.

Though the hill areas are larger in size, the hill people are beset with enormous amount of backwardness. Although a handful of them who are residing in Imphal and other urban areas are running neck to neck with the majority community, big chunk of the hill population are still far far behind. This meant all is not well in our state.

Educationally and economically backwardness is all around. Extreme poverty is the hallmark of majority of the hill people. Politically and socially too they are deeply divided. There is no unity and social cohesion, one group seem to be always up against the other and vice versa. This is the sadest part of life in the hills.

Now the only way out for the hill people to survive the future holocaust of life is to shed their old ways and thinking. They shoud shed their tradition of hatred among themselves. They should make up up their mind and come forward hand in hand for building the future.

This is the high time to wake up otherwise they are fighting a losing war. There is no win win situation. This is not the time to call someone by name. This is not the time to speak singularly. When the hurricane is sweeping the entire areas you cannot save your own soul even if you try with all your might but together with others you may be able to hold on.

For instance, the UNC speak and struggle for the Nagas only and the KIM do the same for the Kukis, as they used to do in the past, then both of them will be like the luckless amphibian struggling to save itself from the fearfull mouth of the snake. The more they struggle the nearer they reach the place of doom. This is a sure thing. Today is the time to choose one of them – either doom or suvival.

This is not the right time to recall and recollect the past mistakes and misdeeds. We might commit heinous crimes in the past but we are lucky to be alive on this planet. They should thank the Almighty for keeping them alive. Looking back the past will only heighten the animosity in the society.

This is the time for UNC and KIM, to reconcile and come forward and join hand and march forward otherwise avelanche is fastly approaching ahead. If you considered yourself the apex body of the two communities, you should not wait and watch.

If you still believe in singularity you will regret in the near future. Time is running out and time wait for no men. Running against time should be avoided.

Let the by-gone be by-gone. We should learn to respect each other and love each other. We have enough bitter experience in the past. If this could be a lesson for us we may still have a future.

We should learn to forget the past and look for the future ahead. This is the only way out.