Need to stick to a consistent narrative Demand of the reality
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Even as Manipur marches steadily towards the two year mark of conflict on May 3, it is critical for the people and Imphal to stick to an intelligible, logical and most importantly a consistent stand else one would be playing into the hands of the elements who have declared an open war against the people and the land. This is where one needs to be consistent in debunking the reason for holding the Tribal Solidarity March of May 3, 2023. The High Court of Manipur only directed the State Government to send the ethnographic and socio-economic status of the Meiteis to the Centre, a report sought by the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs back in 2013. If at all ATSUM or any other entity were against the call to include the Meiteis in the ST list, then the protest should have erupted in 2013 itself and one wonders why it took ten years for Churachandpur, Kangpokpi and Moreh to erupt in protest in 2023. And as stated many times in this column, the message from the Centre was to just send the report, a message over which successive Governments slept on for over 10 years. The High Court too just asked the State Government to send the report and ATSUM, KIM, ITLF and CoTU would not have been blind to the fact that it is not the Judiciary which decides whether a community fits the bill to be included in the ST list or not but Parliament. So from Day 1, the foundation of the tale of lies was laid, starting with the Solidarity March on some cooked up subject which then morphed into playing the victim card and selling the same effectively to the media based outside Manipur. The report that emerged in the early days of the clash that some foreign based correspondents were in Churachandpur some days before the May 3, 2023 Tribal Solidarity March should connect the dots between the victim stories that have been dished out so convincingly to drawing the clash along religious divide. A clear agenda to internationalise the false narrative which has come out in all its ugliness in the findings collected and prepared by intelligence agencies which formed part of the Home Ministry tribunal and which ultimately led to the conclusion of some Christians of Manipur being incited to secede or to demand cessation of the land they occupy from India. Manipur needs to go along with the narratives which appear to be in her favour and it is only right that she remains consistent in her narrative. Even a slight hint of inconsistency in the narratives that Manipur has maintained since May 3, 2023 can have the potential to go against her and it is this which people should be wary about. And to stick to the narrative, one should not forget that there are certain fundamental universal laws which should not be violated at any cost.
Manipur should equip herself with an intelligible, logical and consistent narrative for it is through this that justice can be delivered via the conduct of a National Register of Citizens and pursue the demand that the SoO pact be abrogated with more force and logic. Sticking to a consistent narrative or stand should not be such a tough task and it is only when one sticks to a consistent stand that the position of Manipur may be spelt out more effectively before Delhi. Imphal should also acknowledge the point that this is not the time for finger pointing at each other and take stock of the larger force at work which has taken every possible steps to demand a Separate Adminis- tration. And to do this, it is important that Manipur should acknowledge the need to take everyone along. This is primarily the reason why it had been reasoned earlier that it would help to try and see the active participation of the Naga Ministers and MLAs in any bid to take Manipur to the road of normalcy. The question is whether the BJP led Government at Imphal has been able to take everyone within the coalition with its idea of taking the fight against illegal immigrants and against the drug network. For Manipur to take the right step towards restoring normalcy, it is important that a consistent narrative is maintained and the same is laid down sincerely and forcefully before Delhi.
Manipur should equip herself with an intelligible, logical and consistent narrative for it is through this that justice can be delivered via the conduct of a National Register of Citizens and pursue the demand that the SoO pact be abrogated with more force and logic. Sticking to a consistent narrative or stand should not be such a tough task and it is only when one sticks to a consistent stand that the position of Manipur may be spelt out more effectively before Delhi. Imphal should also acknowledge the point that this is not the time for finger pointing at each other and take stock of the larger force at work which has taken every possible steps to demand a Separate Adminis- tration. And to do this, it is important that Manipur should acknowledge the need to take everyone along. This is primarily the reason why it had been reasoned earlier that it would help to try and see the active participation of the Naga Ministers and MLAs in any bid to take Manipur to the road of normalcy. The question is whether the BJP led Government at Imphal has been able to take everyone within the coalition with its idea of taking the fight against illegal immigrants and against the drug network. For Manipur to take the right step towards restoring normalcy, it is important that a consistent narrative is maintained and the same is laid down sincerely and forcefully before Delhi.