Calling out the indifference of Delhi Chicken Neck Syndrome

The Chicken Neck Syndrome. This should about sum up the indifference of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the tragedy that is Manipur today, a tragedy that unfolded from the evening of May 3, 2023. The failure to look beyond the east of Brahmaputra and the concept of ‘othering’ which has been perfected to an art form and this is the primary point that one can read into the fiery lecture delivered by Professor Angomcha Bimol Akoijam during his maiden speech on the floor of the Lok Sabha. Stretch this a little bit and the jibe of TMC MP from West Bengal Mahua Moitra...“There are six themes in the President’s address. The budget for the North East has increased four times yet the word ‘Manipur’ is nowhere in the speech. The Prime Minister mentioned Muslim, Madrassa, Mutton, Machhli and Mujra but not Manipur once during the campaigning. We don’t need you to Look East or Act East. We need you to Work East and, most importantly Embrace East.’ Read the stand of the TMC MP with what Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had to say and the concept of ‘othering’ goes to its logical conclusion. The very line, ‘For Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, Manipur is not a part of the India. It is not a State. PM Modi acts like there is no civil war,’ from Rahul Gandhi should perhaps explain why the BJP candidate lost so abysmally to the Congress in the Inner Parliamentary Constituency as well as the NPF candidate, who was supported by the BJP in the Outer Parlia- mentary Constituency. It should say something significant that first time MP Bimol Akoijam felt the need to define what ‘Nationalism’ should encompass and this was perfectly underlined in his recall that at least two Army officers have laid down their lives while battling the adversaries in the service of the country-Major Laishram Jotin and Major Ngangom Joydutta who fell while being a part of the Indian Peace Keeping Force at Sri Lanka in 1987. If this is not Nationalism then what is the understanding of Nationalism to the saffron party is the unsaid but discernible line of thought echoed by the Professor. The sacrifice of the two Army officers is besides the laurels brought by sportspersons such as Mary Kom, Laishram Sarita, Kunjarani, Mirabai Chanu, recalled the first time MP and he rounded this off by mentioning icons such as Ratan Thiyam and Syam Sharma.
What Manipur, North East India, India and the world should note is that the speech was not delivered on behalf of anyone or in favour of any of the two groups of people ‘at war’ and talked about the suffering of the people. In short it was about the tragedy that has befallen Manipur, a State in North East India and how New Delhi has always refused to look beyond the Brahmaputra. A point which should jolt the senses of New Delhi for this is perhaps the first time that such a hard hitting statement has been delivered on the floor of the Lok Sabha. This is what Manipur needs, to speak out against the indifference of New Delhi and to bring it to the notice of everyone and not let it be swept under some high sounding words. Take a look at the cold statistics. Over 13 months of mayhem, over 60,000 people still surviving in relief camps, over 200 killed and yet the Prime Minister refuses to acknowledge that here is a tale of human tragedy being scripted and played out right under his nose. This is something that needed to be brought to the sanctum sanctorum of Parliament and the voters of Inner Manipur Parliamentary Constituency did the right thing in breaking the set precedence of always electing someone from the ruling party and this time backed someone from the Opposition. Not surprisingly the speech of Bimol Akoijam has gone viral on the social media and one hopes it is taken to its next logical step. What that step would be will depend on the conscience of New Delhi and how the Congress takes up from what has been said.