Something must be terribly wrong in that society where people think twice before expressing their views in public, and writing articles under the pseudonym (cover name) of Anonymous Singh becomes the only way of ventilating their frustrations. There's more. What does it tell about that society which has no clear center of power, and where the citizens have to contend with multiple parallel governments? Inevitably the questions uppermost in everyone's mind are: Who are our real leaders? Where have all our so called liberators gone? What has become of the grandiloquent promises that they made? Have they quietly killed the idealism to claim a share of dirty pie? Or, have they lost their way?

We have no answers to these, not because we haven't asked, but because they refuse to answer us, apparently considering it beneath their imagined stature and power to do so-or simply they don't have answers. The only language they know is issuing and carrying out threats to pump a bullet into your temple - point blank, should you dare to antagonize them. They are infallible and above all remonstrance, or so they think. What they miss to remember here is that, they will exist only as long as the public's goodwill is with them and only because of it. The day the public lose its patience and turn against them, it will be their death knell.

In fact, there have been incidents in the recent past that point to the disillusionment of the people with these organizations. But it is doubtful whether they have taken the cue and done introspection into the causes of people's disaffection.

But, no matter how all-powerful and righteous they consider themselves to be, it is the pulse of the public that will decide the fate of these organizations. Already, people have begun to attack them in hushed tone behind closed doors, a hostility which is becoming more intense as days pass by. So far, the rumblings are silent, but when these turn into a shrill shriek, God help them.

We are angry because we have valid reasons for being so, and it serves us better to show our disapproval openly. Politely but firmly, we need to tell them we cannot fulfill their ever increasing demands, and are not as phlegmatic as to give in to their every overindulgence. On every wall where they paint their names in garish red letters, we also should put up posters indicating the following demands and a positive reminder.

1. Humanize the "tax" regime;
2. Adopt a policy of minimum intervention in people's lives;
3. Strive for unity;
4. Pledge to protect Manipur's borders;
5. Respect human rights, the freedom of expression being one them;
6. Listen to people's voices;
7. Consider the above demands with all seriousness they deserve

No! This is not an article that comes from a writer who is filled with hatred for these organizations, but on the contrary, it is a lament for a great cause that is heading towards disrepute - the cause that is as much ours as theirs. We may or may not agree with the real objective of their armed struggle, but we do support them, despite their often objectionable style of functioning. Through them, we draw the world's attention to our plight as suppressed peoples - at least we believe so. This doesn't mean that we are forever going to agree with them on every issue and submit to their style of functioning. They need to realize that taking the public for granted, while continuing to act in the same abominable manner, will amount to trying the limits of our patience, goodwill and silence. Beneath our uneasy calm is a dynamite waiting to explode.

Nevertheless, if these organizations falter and fail, we will moan anyway, but more for a cause that is frittered away, then for them. We will mourn for the thousands of martyrs who sacrificed their lives for a cause that is dear to us: self determination; and which now stands shattered. We will repent, regret, and beat our breasts, but our hands would be tied for a long time. For, once a cause is discredited, it becomes hard to revive its spirit again. You know who will discredit our movement. It is so obvious.

We needn't go into too many reasons why we have begun to question their sincerity and motives. But one ugly feature stands out, and that is, their active participation in the very system that they are supposed to reform. This behaviour is in direct contradiction with what they have always claimed to uphold-social responsibility. Seen from this perspective, they have clearly lost their right to dictate to us from a pedestal of moral high ground, and it is now a common knowledge that some of these organizations are mired in the corrupt practices, such as in matters of government appointments, award of lucrative state contracts, not to mention their subversive role in the student politics (and what not). In fact, it is hard to distinguish them from Mumbai's underworld -at least in terms of their degree of penetration in the state administration-and even harder to tell how they differ from the corrupt government that they seek to dislodge some day. Like the rotten government we are made to live under, they have seamlessly woven into its clothing, almost becoming its competitive clone. It is a betrayal of our trust and misuse of our hard earned money. Escaping from this is not an option, and yet at the same time, there is no one authority, powerful enough to discipline them, a situation that makes it much easier for them to run amok among us. They are above law, and for us, it is like living in a country ruled by different rival potentates. You oppose, your head rolls.

Life may be tough under them, yet these organizations are indispensable under the present circumstances. For all their faults, they serve a useful purpose: they are our spokesman for our grievances; our poster movement to draw world's attention; our reminder to the government that we can hit back; our buffer against territorial incursion by certain groups from across the state border; and they hold us a promise of a strong self reliant Manipur. The promise may be true or an illusionary one. Nevertheless, we need a hope to hold on to. We need them and they need us. The only hitch is that when they ignore us and treat us as mere retainers, we are not likely to take it lying down and be mere mute spectators. They must reform themselves now; otherwise, our dear movement will lose its steam half-way through and degenerate into a bloody internecine war. This is the clear and present danger.