India, Manipur and South-east Asia: Six Things To Learn

Md. Farizuddin Khan *

People lining up for Petrol in Imphal due to the economic blockade in November 2011

100th days have passed since the economic blockade on the highways leading to landlocked state of Manipur had started in August this year. People have started taking it as a normal phenomenon facing the hardships peacefully yet painfully.

The brunt of the agitating method is seriously felt by the people of the state particularly those residing in the valley. Everyone is facing the reality of the longest economic blockade in the history of the country except the ministers from the top of the congress hierarchy via our own powerful babus to the level of police inspectors and their protégés .

Petrol prices have gone up to rupees 200 in black market even more than that when you are staying in far-flung areas. One egg cost Rs. 10, a kg of potato cost Rs. 50 at my locality and a gas cylinder will make you spend more than Rs. 2000.

This is the situation in brief. The rich and middle class seems to be comfortable, not so much worried right now, the poor have no chance but to switch on to traditional mode of cooking and they are the ones worst affected in the process.

Now let me start my take on the issue in particular and let me broaden the base. It is a sort of problematizing things but we need problematization because until we start doing this we are happy with the things going on. Somebody has to prick the elephant to wake him up.

That is what I am trying to do. Let us be frank,we ,as citizens of this country, and, to be more specific, we the Manipuris(all of us are responsible to the state where we were born irrespective of the differences we do have and when it comes to the question of Manipur, we all are equally important) seems to be satisfied or at least find easy to let things continue and to resolve on its own.

Satisfied with the status-quo , we seem to be reluctant in handling/dealing with our domestic problems within the state.

A government is about to complete its second term doing nothing substantive. I find people in Imphal comparing the wealth of Chief Ministers of Assam and Manipur. One guy was sad when he heard Ibobi was second only to TarunGogoi in terms of wealth even though both of them have Congress governments and often fly to Delhi for money.

A colleague of mine highlighted Ibobi's success in his home constituency, stability in government, large infrastructural development- ImaKeithel, overbridge, new Secretariat building, assembly hall, smooth road,etc. in Manipur.

Yes he did something but my question is- is that enough with the huge money the Centre has provided to the state which has generated nothing substantive due to lots of problems? Power is so attractive that if given a chance a few yet negligible individuals would give it upto give space to others. It is not the exception for Ibobi too. He is Lalu Prasad in making in Manipur.

Let me broaden my base by flipping to the next page. Let me chart out five things we need to learn:-

1. India, as we see with its huge population, is poised to become an emerging economic giant in near future. This is what people observe. If this is to be true, it has its, "Look East Policy" formulated way back in early 1990s. It is not yet implemented practically. This is typical Indian stereotype.
   
   And it is reflecting in its strategic thinking and hence its foreign policy. Nevertheless, it is talking and talking to convert it into, "Look Act Policy." Let us suppose it has started opening its gate to the South East Asia to have huge volume of trade. North-east region which includes our Manipur will be the first contact point. Moreh can be a strategic trade point like Dimapur in present (that's why the Nagas are very proud of and does things that affects us a lot).
   
   The biggest loser in such a state, if happens very soon, will be Manipur. There is no such plan the government to harness the potential of the state and to grab the opportunity well in time. This might look very unrealistic but it might very realistic equally too.
2. Manipur need to learn from Gujarat state as to how it have become one of the most advanced state in India having maintained a growth rate of 10%. My point is not to emulate Gujarat or its architect, CM NarendraModi, but to broaden our way of thinking so that we could learn some valuable lessons which could be applicable to our state. Post 2002 riot Gujarat Chief Minister was denied a visa in March, 2005.
   
   He injected his huge energy in making the judicial, police and bureaucratic system accountable and transparent. He asked the administration to become corrupt free, the judiciary to clean up cases even that would require them to work overtime. The Chinese started him to pursue after he was found engaging in South-east Asia. The Americans are, now, behind him. An inspiring lesson for the corrupt and lazy Manipur government!
3. The leaders in Manipur need to learn, of course we can't do anything when it comes to decision-making, from the vagueness of Indian diplomacy. Indian diplomacy viz-a-vizwith East Asia and South-east Asia is not without dilemma(s).
   
   When the Vietnamese landed here in Delhi recently to try to help them in dealing with the South China Sea disputes by imprinting its footsteps in South-east Asia, the Indian policy-makers are in dilemma whether to upset China or not (China doesn't approve India's closeness with Vietnam). China fear! We need to learn from the weakness on the part of Indian policy-makers.
   
   Manipuris need to be more assertive about our integrity and stand against all odds by keeping Manipuris united instead of creating cleavages among us. I expect our state government to persuade the centre and at the same time to find an alternative route, not alternative arrangement, to ship in our essentials uninterruptedly that will not cross our problematic neighbouring state. Shouting slogans will not be the end.
4. The draconian law, the AFSPA (1958), and its fight to end by us should be fought from within too. The state government is rejecting to scrap it. People in New Delhi and in the state is protesting against it tooth-and-nail. I think we need to pressure our own government too.
5. The scrapping of AFSPA has to do with lots of politics in Delhi. It has four major stakeholders- the PMO, the Home Ministry, the Army and the Defence Ministry inside the Indian government. The state government is an extension of the army. I think we fail, somehow, to see the impact of the state government's decision.
6. Lastly, let us not have this tendency to taste the fruit before it is ripe. Let us develop the habit to prioritise things according to their importance. At the same time, let us try to see things both from inside and outside. The state is in complete paralysed state, nothing left to be proud of.