Imphal, Delhi still groping in the dark Need for consistent narrative
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Over 20 months in a ‘state of war’ and in as much as Imphal and Delhi do not seem to know what steps to take to put the State on the road of normalcy, it is encouraging to note the newly arrived Governor reaching out to some segment of the people carrying the message of peace. Still too early to say whether the appointment of Ajay Kumar Bhalla as the 17th Governor of Manipur would have any positive impact on the place, but the fact that he has stepped out of the Raj Bhavan to reach out should say something positive. And the Governor seems to be on the right track in sticking to the line that peace should first prevail before any solution can be worked out. Peace or normalcy, this is what is needed to work towards any solution that is sought. To the Kuki-Zo CSOs the slogan is ‘Solution first, peace later’ with the solution being qualified by the term Separate Administration, but as stated in an earlier commentary here this should explain why the violence erupted in the first place. If the Kukis had any grievances against the policies and programmes of the Government, why were Meiteis attacked at Torbung and Churachandpur on May 3, 2023 ? Imphal and the valley area retaliated only late in the evening and the lies that have been churned out in the last 20 months should be more than indicative of the bigger game plan that led to the violence on May 3. Much water has flowed down Imphal river since May 3, 2023 and in the last 20 months, it is clear that the Kuki-Zo CSOs have been able to spin out a tale with so much impact that the victim story churned out has found many takers, especially amongst the so called liberal media in the rest of the country. Manipur on the other hand seems to be fumbling in the dark to articulate the position of the place and her people. Saying something on Monday and another thing on Wednesday runs counter to the understanding of putting up a credible story and this is certainly not what Manipur needs at the moment. The pressing need at the moment is to present a coherent narrative so that no one is left confused and disillusioned. Manipur has to come to grips with the reality and come to the point that spelling out different narratives cannot be to its advantage. And it is only right for Imphal to present the true, and equally important, a consistent story before Delhi and the rest of the country so that the false narratives that have been peddled in the last 20 months do not get to influence the people who matter.
The question is whether Manipur has been able to present the true and consistent story effectively or not. Going by the way in the which the ongoing ethnic violence has been presented before the global audience and India, it should be clear that much more needs to be done. This is where one needs to be consistent and not say one thing on Monday and another thing on Wednesday, to repeat a point that has already been stated here. This is all more important given that Ajay Kumar Bhalla seems a man intent on bringing some sort of an order in the place where chaos has been its defining character for over 20 months. Present the true story to Raj Bhavan and this should mean not only to the Government, but also the people, the different CSOs which have emerged as flag bearers of the understanding of Manipur. The only point of concern is whether the need to stick to a narrative that sounds logical has dawned on the people and the CSOs who matter. Twenty months is a long time and it is time to look to the next six months or one month to see that Manipur is not rocked by another spell of mindless violence. The Government at Imphal should also take note of the disturbing episodes which have emerged now and then to make the situation all that more confusing. Manipur cannot afford to provide any story that could be counter productive in the ultimate analysis and the first thing to do that should be to take cognizance of the potentials of the adversary in front.
The question is whether Manipur has been able to present the true and consistent story effectively or not. Going by the way in the which the ongoing ethnic violence has been presented before the global audience and India, it should be clear that much more needs to be done. This is where one needs to be consistent and not say one thing on Monday and another thing on Wednesday, to repeat a point that has already been stated here. This is all more important given that Ajay Kumar Bhalla seems a man intent on bringing some sort of an order in the place where chaos has been its defining character for over 20 months. Present the true story to Raj Bhavan and this should mean not only to the Government, but also the people, the different CSOs which have emerged as flag bearers of the understanding of Manipur. The only point of concern is whether the need to stick to a narrative that sounds logical has dawned on the people and the CSOs who matter. Twenty months is a long time and it is time to look to the next six months or one month to see that Manipur is not rocked by another spell of mindless violence. The Government at Imphal should also take note of the disturbing episodes which have emerged now and then to make the situation all that more confusing. Manipur cannot afford to provide any story that could be counter productive in the ultimate analysis and the first thing to do that should be to take cognizance of the potentials of the adversary in front.