TSE Nero Incarnate 20070518

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Nero incarnate ?

Courtesy: The Sangai Express 18th May, 2007

Chief Minister O Ibobi may not exactly fit the description of Emperor Nero of the Roman Empire who is infamously described as the ‘King who fiddled while Rome burnt’ but an impartial assessment of his performance ever since he became the Chief Minister will take him somewhere near the said description.

Due to the failure of the Government to read the writings on the wall as well as to understand the gravity of the situation, the State has had to undergo hard times on many occasions. The failure to read and understand the gravity of any issue has a chain reaction and this invariably means putting the people to unnecessary hardships and inconveniences.

So many bandhs, general strikes etc could have been avoided if only the Government had acted on time and the Meitei Mayek revival drive taken up by MEELAL some years back is a fitting example.

MEELAL activists set on fire the State Central Library on 13th April 2005

After months of turmoil, social unrest and arson the Government eventually buckled under the pressure of MEELAL and agreed to introduce the indigenous script at educational institutions. That the Government resolved the issue on the embers of the burnt State Central Library is damning proof that the SPF Government seldom act on time until matter takes a turn for the worst.

It was precisely because of this that even the Governor of Manipur had at one point of time commented that certain unsavoury incidents could have been avoided.

The MEELAL incident is history now and there have been other cases too when the Government failed to understand the turn of events to come and the numerous MoUs signed with different student organisations, particularly with the All Tribal Students' Union, Manipur after a series of agitation has been launched are enough indicators of the Government looking the other way when its attention should have been drawn to the said issue.

The MEELAL movement and the accompanying social unrest may be history now but unfortunately, the Government does not appear to have learnt any lessons from the past.

For the moment, the SPF Government has been able to pacify the Transporters' and Drivers' Council, but this too came after the State had paid the price of a one day chakka bandh.

We have had our say on the impact of the chakka bandh on the students, but a look at the same issue from a different angle will provide fresh insight, is our opinion.

Initially the chakka bandh was supposed to be for two days, that is 48 hours, but it was called off after the first day following a meeting with the Chief Minister.

The point is, if an agreement could be arrived at so soon during a brief meeting, why wasn't any effort taken up to do the same earlier before the chakka bandh was enforced ?

We believe the Council had submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister days before the agitation started, but for reasons which are best known to the Chief Minister, nothing concrete came from the side of the Government.

We need not repeat the difficulties and the extremely trying times that transporters and drivers have to face while discharging their duties and as the Chief Minister of the State, O Ibobi ought to pay the required attention when there is any voice of discontentment from the transporters or from anyone else.

Other than the Government, it is also our sinceren belief that voluntary organisations of all hue and colour and the general public too should understand the plight and conditions under which transporters and drivers have to work.

We would like to offer one suggestion to Mr Ibobi. Keep men/women who are efficient as around him, people who can understand the gravity of any issue and not some chamchas or hanger ons.

It goes without saying that the CM needs to have many sensitive ears, minds as well as eyes.

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