Manipur is number one again

Free Thinker *

Celebration of Achievements of the Manipur State Award at City Convention Centre on December 04 2020 :: Pix - DIPR Manipur

India Today is not a 'faltu' type organisation; it is a respectable and credible Media House. The award announced by India Today is honourably acceptable unlike the awards given by some unreliable NGOs or fly-by-night agencies.

Manipur is number one among the small States in the "overall most improved" category along with Law & Order. When Manipur came last a few months ago, I told you that time - "let a credible organisation do the assessment with prior notice". Today the results are before us. The improvement is quite visible everywhere.

The development projects are coming non-stop, construction works are going on, bridges repairing going off and on, foundation layings increased, inauguration ceremonies on the rise, recruitments under process, appointments going on, drive against drugs driving on, drive against corruption rolling on, pollution control measures augmented, environment friendly activities moving on, Covid hospitals running too fast, above all and after all earnings continue smoothly.

MPSC functioning, College lecturers are lecturing at home (after the gag order), only a few fearless Professors are professing outside, School teachers are teaching from home, even the University teachers giving lectures online. Ima markets are functioning at the fringes (closed inside).

Manipur is also one of the first States after Bihar where the announcement of mass Covid-vaccination is made in public. Perhaps we are starting the vaccination from January. Vaccines from Moreh-side must be avoided. First let's try our domestic vaccines. If it doesn't work we may try Oxford or Sputnik or Moderma etc.

Delhi has made the announcement of mass vaccination only yesterday. Here also we are acting fast, faster than the National Capital. An award please. We are also number one in transporting things not in conformity with law (many call it smuggling); anything or everything can be taken in or taken out at any time with the help of the competent authorities.

But there is no recognition for such a feat. No award category !

If there is an award for "how to drink" we will come last. We still do not know how to drink ? People are blaming prohibition for that. That is not true. There is no ban on cultural drinks (traditional brews). In the hills nobody knows what is prohibition ? In fact the law says something, we do something else at the ground level.

One District official says there is no prohibition in her district. Excise and Police don't agree. Coming to the point , we are yet to learn how to drink. From time immemorial we have been manufacturing and drinking alcoholic beverages. We are told that drinks were taken collectively at social gatherings, cultural events, rituals or celebrations.

But in the last one century or so we have become too individualistic and start drinking alone or in private. If you drink alone you drink more and it leads to self destruction. In our curriculum we may include a chapter on "how to drink and how much to drink ". Prohibition is a misnomer everywhere.

To become number one or two, replicating good practices from others is no crime. We may also conduct the recruitment exam of VCs either in the Raj Bhawan or Rashtrapati Bhavan, wherever applicable in order to maintain maximum transparency and accountability.

One State is doing like this; there is nothing wrong to copy the practice. Results will also come out fast. For the last many months we are struggling to get a VC for our esteemed University. Conducting such important exams in such locations is prudent keeping in view of the pandemic. How can we jeopardize the lives of our future VCs.

Sometimes our Courts do the needful whenever there is confusion; but you see, it is not possible for the judiciary to appoint all the VCs in the country. They have enough work in hand both civil and criminal.

We may progress further by emulating best/ good practices around the world. Many political leaders around the world resign whenever they are in the midst of controversies. We have seen PMs resign in Japan on the drop of a hat. Here in our country even if the atom bombs are dropped nobody resigns. Shastri ji was an exception. He resigned as Rail Minister immediately after a Rail accident.

We are still number one in exchanging 'gratitude money' (outsiders call it bribe ) but unfortunately there is no award category for this beautiful culture. Again we are number one spending time on cultural, social events and religious ceremonies.

We are also one of the best gossipers and backbiters. But rewards for these categories may sound frivolous. Last but not the least, we are at the top in the country in terms of lobbying in Delhi. Leaders & Administrators at the Centre openly agree to this findings; so a survey may be conducted accordingly.

An award for "best lobbying" may kindly be instituted by the esteemed organizer so that we get one more award next time.

Grateful to India Today for recognising our feats.