Pre-Advanced Gift of Death to Ningols for Ningol Chakkouba Festival

Samarjit Kambam *

A woman consoling the victim's family after bomb blast at Moirangkhom, Imphal at around 6:20 am on Oct 30 2013 :: Pix - Deepak Oinam

Four bomb blasts in tandem in Imphal city within a fortnight. The toll has risen to three innocent common people with many others injured adding more number of widows and orphans in Manipur for no fault of theirs – a gift of death of dear husbands to the fateful ningols.

In this festive time the joyous spirit of the people has come to an abrupt halt. People are afraid to go out for marketing for one of the biggest festivals in Manipur, particularly for the Meetei community i.e. Ningol Chakkouba. It is really a heart rending and sad scenario during this festive season.

So far no culprit has been caught. Two of the blasts occur in bazaar area in the very heart of Imphal city where the police personnel are deployed as thick as thieves. Meanwhile the police commandos considered the elite security force of the state are busy taking their lion's share from 'Lagao Khaophams' from every nook and corner of the city. They always seem to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. While incidents of crime happen somewhere they are busy harassing innocent passer-bys on the roads and streets.

Now, the police department is pelting blame game to intelligence agencies. Well, all cannot be denied for a slice of truth prevails on the platter. The intelligence departments comprising of SIB, IB, CID Branch etc seems like they are found in a slumber or in a lethargic state. This shows the weakness and lack of co-ordination and co-operation of the intelligence agencies. God knows how many such 'gifts' are on their way during this festive season. Now most of the people prefer to stay inside their homes as fear psychosis has developed among the people.

The CorCom, an umbrella organization of various underground groups had expressed that the two blasts at Yaiskul area which have already claimed three lives and many injured were not their handiwork. Then who? Killing of innocent people means terrorism. It is a gross violation of human rights. It is questionable and unlikely that a true revolutionary group would kill innocent people. Or is it state sponsored terrorism as a part of their deadly political game? Many questions remain unanswered.

Manipur is a state mired with deceit, controversy, blame game, threats, extortions, extra judicial killings, fake encounters, unmatched corruption, underdevelopment, dismal roads and highways, infrastructure shambles, drug trafficking, human rights violation, nil industrial productivity etc over and above following the system of 'might is right' with the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer.

It is a state hard to pin-point who is who. An honest looking influential politician may turn out to be running a huge illegal racket or syndicate, a person who was nothing the previous year becomes a crorepati the next year. Where did the money come from? Earning money by the sweat of the brow is impossible to become a crorepati in a year or two.

This is where the system can be termed as 'distorted' with big shot bureaucrats and politicians flexing their muscles to carry out nepotism and favouritism in the form of giving contract works, agents of Public Distribution System where the items are distributed in paper only and other easy money making means to their relatives and near ones.

To those big shot bureaucrats and politicians they enjoy the news of bomb blasts as a recipe of breakfast while reading the newspaper. They don't care a damn as long as it doesn't happen to them and their families. This is the harsh reality prevailing in our state.

The previous year i.e. 2012 was a year showered with bombs and bomb threats. This year, the people anticipate and hope for a bomb free ambience but its like coming back to square one. It would be clearly appropriate to mention that whoever carried out those sinister killings during this festive season are animals taking the guise of humans and there should not be a place for them in our society.

Our society has become ill, very ill, it needs a cure. Just like curing a disease or disinfecting a deadly germ, such germs of the society should be eradicated and wiped out.

It is high time the security forces, intelligence agencies with the cooperation of various social organization and NGOs do something concrete for Manipur to become a bomb-blast free state.