Time to validate reservation policy in health sector
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: June 05, 2023 -

Though the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare's directive to 24 doctors from centrally-run med-ical institutions in the north-eastern states to serve in violence affected Kangpokpi, Churachandpur and Tengnoupal districts that have substantial num-bers of people belonging to the Kuki-Chin group, is basically centred on the concept of ensuring better healthcare service, picking up only the Meetei doctors from RIMS hospital for the purpose implies that the central government authorities aren't aware about gravity and ground reality of the situation in the state.

Notwithstanding the fact that medical professionals are duty-bound to serve anywhere and everyone, it is unbelievable that the ministry overlooked safety concerns of the Meetei doctors in the context of the prevailing tension and that both the communities involved in the bitter conflict are sparing none.

De-spite assurance given by Union home minister Amit Shah during his recent state visit that appropriate measures have been put in place to restore normalcy, the ground reality is that tension remains high and violence continues unabated till date, thus signifying that no one from the warring communities is safe beyond their respective territories.

Involvement of armed elements in the conflict is also complicating the situation as the violence is no more conventional communal clashes between rival civilian groups but is turning into a showdown between Kuki militants and security forces, more particularly state's forces.

The disturbing aspect of the prevailing situation is that the central government seems unwilling to acknowledge violation of ground rules of the sus-pension of operation by the Kuki militants.

If at all the centre is of the view that cadres of Kuki outfits bound by the Soo agreement are in the designated camps and the allegations about their involvement in attacking Meetei villages in the peripheral areas have no substance, then there seems to be no valid reason why the central forces deployed in the state shouldn't take visible action against those attacking the civilian population.

It is equally perturbing that the government of Manipur hasn't deployed state's forces in adequate numbers in the vulnerable foothill villages to protect the civilians or take the militants head-on in-spite of hundreds of personnel enrolled periodically.

For the record, the ethnic clashes continuing in the state for over a month since May 3 has officially claimed the lives of 98 people, as on June 2, scores of people left injured and thousands of families displaced from their ancestral homes.

With both body count and injury list on the rise, and unceasing threat to life and proper-ties from armed elements amid persistent tension, the decision to depute 12 Meetei doctors of RIMS at healthcare centres in the volatile Churachandpur, Kangpokpi and Moreh towns is akin to throwing the medical professionals into the cauldron.

The doctors' fear is not without substance as there are complaints of Meetei medical students in the newly established Churachandpur Medical College subjected to threat and harassment on the first night the violence broke out apartfrom numerous allegations about failure of security forces deployed in Kuki dominated areas to response to distress calls.

Notably, as doctors from tribal communities, Kuki-Chin tribes in particular, were among the graduates from RIMS since the last many years, it would be a better choice if they are entrusted the task.

Moreover, if the Kuki-Chin doctors aren't able to serve their own people in these challenging times then posers would naturally be raised over purpose of the reservation policy in the health sector apart from questioning efficiency and commitment of the said medical professionals.

Therefore, it is wished that the ministry authorities review the decision of deputing the 12 Meetei doctors in the three districts where there are no Meetei civilians left so as to ensure that no unwanted incidents detrimental to peace and harmonious co-existence recur anywhere in Manipur.