Time for some sane voices
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: September 12 2011 -

Blockade supporters of Sadar Hills districthood Demand Committee (SHDDC) set ablaze eight goods laden trucks on Saturday night, September 10 2011 at Keithelmanbi, Senapati distirct of Manipur :: Pix by Paojel Chaoba and Jimmy Leivon

Each day brings in news of trucks carrying essential items set ablaze along the two the lifelines of Manipur, of more violence, of volunteers enforcing the economic blockade injured in clashes with security force.

As things stand today, with no let up in sight, the SHDDC agitation is heading towards a head-on collision with the government, bringing in its wake more and more violence and counter violence leading to destruction of properties, injuries and even deaths.

In the last few days, not unexpectedly, the situation has taken a turn for the worse.

With essential food items, petroleum products, life saving drugs and medicines becoming scarcer day by day, pressure mounted on the state government to make these things available to the people.

It responded by deciding to mobilize all forces at its command and, if required seek the assistance of paramilitary forces to open the national highways.

The move was met with equal stridency by the SHDDC leadership, vowing not to ease up the pressure in any way and to enforce the economic blockade more forcefully.

On the ground, this stand translated into burning of more goods laden trucks heading for Imphal under the escort of Assam Rifles whose retaliatory action left many a SHDDC supporters and volunteers injured. All this is very worrying.

On top of it, is the call of the SHDDC leadership to its supporters and volunteers to arm themselves with clear instructions to be prepared to burn down government buildings, assets and to fight the state forces. Truly disturbing instructions indeed, taking into account the already inflamed situation.

What we can infer from these moves of the SHDDC and the government is that both the parties do not seem to entertain the possibility of any breakthrough in the near future and each side is preparing for a long haul.

The third contending party in this issue, the UNC too has intensified its activities, with its supporter also resorting to burning trucks, 5 of them yesterday (Sep 10) at Ukhrul, obviously as a reminder that their objection to the formation of Sadar Hills district should not be taken lightly.

But should we allow the situation to just drift and follow its own course and wait for the sail to lose its wind? Of course not! Because by then, we would have suffered too much of a loss- valuable time, energy, life and limbs, which we can never hope to retrieve from anywhere.

And more worrisome is the toll such a long drawn confrontation might take of harmonious relations between the various communities of the state. At the risk of sounding repetitive, we would once again stress the need to work relentlessly for a solution at the earliest.

The state government, on its part, should not sit on the issue and hope for the agitation to peter out on its own. Waiting for the Committee on Reorganisation of Administrative and police boundaries to submit its report is fine, this might give valuable inputs in arriving to a solution.

But in the meantime, it should keep channels open for communications with the SHDDC. It would also help, if the Chief Minister reaches out to other political parties and come to a consensus on the issue. For an amicable and a lasting solution, dissenting voices especially of the UNC, also need to be given due consideration.

But, what is most needed at this juncture and which is a prerequisite for a lasting solution is the emergence of saner voices.

Voices which speak the language of accommodation, of reconciliation, of sharing, for, if we are hell bent on taking or holding on to what we believe is our inalienable right, others would do the same and the cycle of confrontation will never come to an end.

And none would emerge a winner from such a state of affairs.