Dam, NIT and clean MPSC?

Donn Morgan Kipgen *

Once again the State of Manipur has been put under multiple trail on socio-political and academical grounds even as the O. Ibobi Administration is still walking fragilely in the political corridor of uncertainties. Unfortunately, all the burning issues are of non-progressive and politically-motivated stand-off. In this part of the world just about every futuristic and positive subject-matter has put into controversial status by just about every local NGOs with the full blessings of influential political and student union leaders who ride for their own personal interests. This means that there are less honourable political, student and social leaders with progressive principles.

A few good men, and few good ladies, have been drown with their solemn cries in the treacherous sea of uncertainties. Indeed, every socio-economically profitable and space-age-developmental projects have their own inevitable negative aspects of very much lower degree: some are negligible if the State-sponsored NGOs, the Central Govt itself, diplomatically handle the issues with tact, wisdom and full monetary assistance, plus incentives for general public support. With the "controversial” NIT, building site at Langol area, the revitalised MPSC yet again on target list, Tipamukh Dam and the capital law and order under very close observation, the near "walked-out” by the MU Tribal Students' Union on the first day of March, 2008,etc. rounded up the woeful tales of explosive stories at present.

When a divided house rules a volatile State, what could the general public and learned Citizens expect much better socio-political system! The massive JACs against the police and paramilitary force have regularly smart-bombed the State Govt, with endless bandhs and economical blockades on regular basis, so relentlessly over the past 5 or more years, so much so that even the shaky O. Ibobi Administration non chalantly has got used to them and as such remained unperturbed, seemingly unruffled by the hues and cries from all corners on all debatable but strictly constitutionally correct issues. Since O. Ibobi Administration has tactfully warded and weathered off the biggest political storms of its life time, any anti-State or anti-progressive Western-backed developmental project from one or two particular institutions, (politically boosted for personal interests), would be non-negotiable and should not be accepted under the present socio-geo-political circumstances. To put it diplomatically, once the Letters of Authorisation inked by the CM. O. Ibobi Singh, dried up there's no turning back or unduly give in to various socio-political pressures.

Good things don't come in cheap and easy and they sure as don't fly in by themselves without a small price to pay. In these politico-economical cut-throat competitions in hi-tech world, it's all about Who Dares Wins (SAS) and "Not by Strength, but by Guile” Special Boat Service (SBS) Diplomacy. In the past, only the highest authorities of the Central Govt who toured around the friendly world to seek and acquire multinational deals and highly developed nation's hi-tech projects. The days of costly controversial deals and corruptible and monopolised foreign-sponsored projects are already numbered with their high-flying wings clipped for good. Now it is the State CM/Govt's responsibility to fly out and rope in socio-economically profitable projects—the new "First Touch Wins System” is on the roll. And the highly promising Tipaimukh Dam would definitely see the better light of the other days to come since the under-achieving Loktak Hydro-electricity project has become more of a liability and a waste of time and resources.

The controversy over the hi-tech NIT project is all about the construction site, already inked and stamped to be built at Langol wetland area (Imphal West) despite the presence of so many ideal building sites in many valley areas along the national highways of Manipur. Indeed the much needed NIT project is an academical bounty, thanks to a New York-based hi-tech firm. The newly reorganised and revitalised MPSC is a boon to young learned scholars of all class, caste and creed off late. No force on earth could lawfully and honourably deny an honest, intelligent and learned scholar for a God-gifted rightful place in any fair form of competition if he or she has the required knowledge, full authority and the mental courage over the subject-matter. Though the highly independent activities of some subject union bodies against prescribed rules of the MPSC (same as that of the UPSC) were questionable, the lifting of age bar to 32 yrs for General category was a welcome one for late bloomers. The genuine age cut off question raised by some Manipuri citizens is very much answerable by the authority concerned.

Well, let's hope if the neat and clean MPSC could live up to its new and dignified image as officially seen so far. The State of Manipur needs bright new faces, young and honest officers to guide through her darkest hours. And boy, aren't there lots of brand new young bloods for the taking? Yes, indeed, there would surely be here in Manipur.

The Tipaimukh dam could be as profitable and dependable as the American's Hoover Dam. The massive Hoover dam is situated in a high-risk earthquake zone and its man-made Lake is now a tourist paradise, and the top of the dam being a national highway bridge itself. It gives irrigation and drinking water apart from the huge supply of electricity all over the USA. Likewise, the State of Manipur needs a big dam in double quick time. If the Communist China successfully constructed the Three Gorges Dam in an open capitalist policy, boldly sacrificing ancient Buddhist temples, river-bank commercial towns, thousands of feudalist homesteads, Govt offices, rare animal species like the Pandas, rare delightful flora and fauna in an earthquake zone, why not in democratic NE States of India in a capitalist trading system?

In compliance with modern developmental projects of democratic nations, the Chinese Govt wisely took a big profitable gamble of highest degree in the form of a massive and quite gorgeous dam to lay the foundation for present and future generation's highly Developed- China. Likewise the State and Central Govt took a most welcome opportunity by constructing the Tipaimukh Dam, presently arrested NIT project at hostile Langol areas, re-organising the MPSC on first gear with Prelims added to its recruitment, planning for a much larger international-class airport with state-of-art command and control system, upgrading the MU to Central varsity status (now in hot water with enraged MUTSU), new trading agreement with Burma, etc. Though under darky storms, Posterity and Destiny would surely make all the highly enterprising and socio-economically sound hi-tech projects overcome all these justifiable adversaries in one way or the other better ones peacefully. It's all about enriched and much better tomorrow, for all and sundries.