Gravity of situation should be clear Motor mouth not needed
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The gravity of the situation should be understood. This is all that more so for anyone whose existence is in the public domain. On October 4, 2023 the name Thounaojam Brinda suddenly went viral on the social media and it soon stepped outside the virtual world to give life and breath to the unfortunate developments that unfolded and soon became public fodder. The young lady has apologised and the matter may best be left there, but there are certain questions which are beyond academic interest. Who was the person at the other end of the phone to whom the former police officer was in conversation with ? How did a conversation between two persons/friends/acquaintances come out with all its ugliness on the public domain ? A question of the telephonic conversation being recorded and being released at the opportune moment ? Tapping a phone conversation is not something which any Tomba, Hongba or Chaoba would be in a position to do and here lies the question of who was behind recording the conver-sation ? All questions, but as observed in the opening line of this commentary, it is important for everyone to come to terms with the gravity of the situation. Here is a case of nearly 200 people having been killed in the ongoing clash. Over 20 people are reportedly missing. Hundreds of houses being razed to the ground and thousands rendered homeless and having to live or survive in the relief centres set up across the State and to falsely point fingers at any particular organisation for having ignited the present clash and give a push to the wrong narrative that has been floated would amount to cutting off the nose to spite the face. Any grudge against the present dispensation or any political leader should not morph into an exercise of demonising the Meitei community and hold it accountable for having started the clash. The Sangai Express has been consistent in its stand that the first match stick that was lit at Torbung on May 3 started the inferno that has engulfed the whole of Manipur. Twisting this fact is nothing but backing the wrong narrative that has been peddled to the world and which has started falling apart. It should also not be forgotten that the character of a people would be judged by how it responds when a fellow person of the same community toe the line of the false narrative and it is best left to the conscience of the Meitei people to answer whether they have responded in a manner which befits the character of a people left by the forefathers of the land.
The ‘war’ is far from over. No one knows how long it will drag on and no one knows how many ‘internal tussle’ Manipur will see in the coming days. This is precisely the reason why people need to respond to any unsavoury development with the understanding that the whole world is watching and it would not help to provide extra ammunition to those standing against the idea of Manipur. The time and the reality call for all to keep aside their personal likes and dislikes, most importantly not to be blinded by their egos and come to the realisation that what is at stake is Manipur. Not the time to settle personal scores that can compromise the idea of Manipur, especially at this time when there is immense pressure working to disfigure the continued existence of Manipur as a distinct geo-political reality. It is this reality which seems to have blown over the consciousness of the young former police officer, who at one point of time was a decorated personality. Let it also be clear that Thounaojam Brinda has publicly apologised and it should end there. Let there be no further witch hunt for ultimately what one is talking about is Manipur and not to settle personal scores. It should also not be forgotten that the young lady is a politician, a yong lass who contested in the last Assembly election and was seen as someone above board. A reality which should not be lost in the dust kicked up by the reported telephonic conversation.
The ‘war’ is far from over. No one knows how long it will drag on and no one knows how many ‘internal tussle’ Manipur will see in the coming days. This is precisely the reason why people need to respond to any unsavoury development with the understanding that the whole world is watching and it would not help to provide extra ammunition to those standing against the idea of Manipur. The time and the reality call for all to keep aside their personal likes and dislikes, most importantly not to be blinded by their egos and come to the realisation that what is at stake is Manipur. Not the time to settle personal scores that can compromise the idea of Manipur, especially at this time when there is immense pressure working to disfigure the continued existence of Manipur as a distinct geo-political reality. It is this reality which seems to have blown over the consciousness of the young former police officer, who at one point of time was a decorated personality. Let it also be clear that Thounaojam Brinda has publicly apologised and it should end there. Let there be no further witch hunt for ultimately what one is talking about is Manipur and not to settle personal scores. It should also not be forgotten that the young lady is a politician, a yong lass who contested in the last Assembly election and was seen as someone above board. A reality which should not be lost in the dust kicked up by the reported telephonic conversation.