Out on the streets against extortions Reeling under lawlessness

A fallout of the ongoing ethnic clash or a case of the old Devil returning to haunt the collective psyche of the people ? Or a case of the ongoing ethnic clash taken as the perfect opportunity to flex one’s muscle and impose one’s writ including ‘give me your money’ on the people ? The answer or answers to these questions should sum up the Manipur of today and there is nothing to gloat over this. Yaingangpokpi to Yairipok to Kakching, shopkeepers have been pushed to the brink so much so that the only option left before them was to down shutter and come out on the roads to protest what they say is unbearable extortions from some of the power players. Even barbers have felt constrained to shut shop indefinitely on the ground that they are not able to bear the monetary demands served on them and even an educational institution felt compelled to air their grievances out in the open for one and all to see. This is about those who have aired their grievances and there could be many others who have not come out in the open or have not had the gumption to publicly denounce such acts and one can imagine the real situation. This is not all for the fact is, even courtesy calls are given to individuals to ‘donate’ and anyone who knows Manipur will understand what this ‘donate’ call denotes. Something is seriously wrong and this should also raise a question on what the State Government is doing to rein in such elements. Business is down, is a line that one can hear clearly from many entrepreneurs with even some having gone to the extent of announcing that they have decided to throw in the towel and close shop. A look at the social media should underline this point and what should not be forgotten is the plain fact that when sincere, energetic and committed individuals decide to close shop and relocate somewhere, it is Manipur which stands to lose and no one else. And all should understand the reality of Manipur, a geo-political reality which is today being sought to be torn apart by some elements. Why don’t this plain and simple fact sink into the consciousness of the people who think nothing of serving ‘demand notes’ on the people who they think are ‘well off’ under the pretext of doing something for the land ? No proper study has been conducted but it would be interesting if a scientific study is conducted to see how many business houses have had to close, how many have thought of shifting base somewhere outside Manipur and in the case of closure or change in address, how many employees, who are all indigenous folks of Manipur, would be or have been left jobless. Come to think about it. A shop closing down means it affects not only the proprietor but also all those employed in the said shop and everyone knows what happens when an earning member in the family is laid off. 
More like a case of Might is Right and this invariably brings the question of where the Government is. For 14 months Manipur has been literally surviving from day to day and apart from the ongoing ethnic conflict, what one sees is the total absence of the rule of law. This invariably brings the question of who is in charge ? Who is answerable ? The answer should lie with the Government at Delhi and the mess that one sees all over the place reflects the confusion on the structure of command and power. And who has scripted this confusion ? The very fact that these questions have been raised should cast light on so many things and it is in the midst of this confusion that one sees the emergence of so many power players who have been throwing their weight around and adding to the woes of the people. The fact that even students have had to come out to protest should say so many things and to repeat a point already stated here, it is only some who have gathered the needed courage to come out and protest. There could be many others who have preferred to toe the line of ‘silence is the better option.’ The reality however is Manipur is being bled and this is something which the Government should take note of. Situation getting better should not be seen and understood only through the prism of the clash between the two communities ebbing but also on how freely entrepreneurs, businessmen and traders are able to carry on with their daily activities of keeping the business churning and in the process become job creators as  well.