ANARCHY AT THE GATES

The Northeast corridor of the largest democracy in the world is one of the most volatile hot spots of the world after Baghdad, Kabul, Khartoum, Grozny, and other politically torn regions. There is neither civil war nor any straight uprising of the people right now. However, the continuous ethnic killings and the hidden oppression of the people by the security forces and the people in power are sure recipes for a brewing uprising, which could take the nation hostage.



In spite of the fact that the rest of the nation is experiencing the fruits of an economic liberation, the region owing to the fact that it is a heaven of natural resources is still reeling under great economic depression. The whole region has either been over-looked or simply tagged as one big conflicting zone. It might not be under any foreign occupation but the internal strife for political sovereignty since the past twenty-five years has taken its tools heavily on the people. With deep scars hidden under the people’s smiles, unwanted situations mounting up at an unpredictable rate at times unknown to all does indeed cause much grievances and unaccountable misery. Lack of opportunities and no podium to stand on to speak out in an anticipated manner make democracy in these parts a cock and a bull story.

An open fact much clearly understood by the whole nation is the presence of more than three militant outfits or groups in each of the seven states of the region, which are quite active. These separatist groups to make their presence felt at times indulge in mischievous grenade attacks on civilians or security forces alike, planting bombs at crowded places, issue orders banning people to participate in national celebrations and so on. The security forces in order to take actions against such groups also indulge in some retaliation of the nefarious kind. Therefore, there are accounts of how they raid villages suspecting of harboring militants torturing them to extract any information, harass men and women quite often without any motive, pick up young men and use any means on them to confess crimes not committed by them. Among the most notorious and inhuman is the staging of fake encounters and secret killings with the approval of the insipid men in power.

Manipur is an example of a troubled state. The state is already reeling under great social degradation. It is the home to the highest number of A.I.D.S and H.I.V infected people and houses the highest number of intravenous drug users in the country. A state already under such great social adversity clearly needs help from the respective state and central government, but that does not seem to be happening. An aide state Manipur has been under constant attack from different insurgency outfits for the past twenty years or more. Some of the demands of these groups range from complete sovereignty from the state of India to autonomy and for the complete annulment of the infamous Arm Forces Special Act (A.F.S.P.A). The innocent civilians caught in between the cat and a mouse game of the security forces and the outfits, are in close of the boiling point.

In recent years, the people have been vehemently protesting for the immediate repeal of the draconian A.F.S.P.A, which by itself is a sheer violation of human rights. In 2004, a group of middle-aged women stripped their modesty and clothes to speak up against the army for the rape and murder of a young married woman and for the repeal of the act in front of the historic Kangla Fort. They also demanded the evacuation of the fort, which is historically significant for the Manipuri people. The conversion of the fort into an army base and the murder of the young women compelled the protesters to take up such an act. The whole episode rocked the nation and the ghost of violent protests once again seemed to haunt the whole nation once again.

On July 23 2009, in a supposedly so-called encounter security forces shot a former militant Chungkham Sanjit and a pregnant woman. According to the security forces, the man was armed and considered dangerous. The killing of the pregnant woman was just collateral damage, according to the forces. As predicted violence broke down on the streets and people came heavily on the reigning Chief Minister U.M Ibobi Singh demanding his resignation. Adding fuel to the fire was the publication of photos showing the man as being unarmed and buying medicines. Thelka, a news magazine did the expose and showed what really happened out there at that moment.

The subsequent consequences shocked the nation as a whole. The people came to realize that at least twenty thousand people in staged encounters faced deaths at the hands of the security forces. The reaction was colossal. Imphal, the capital remained shut for three days altogether and the resignation of the mute Chief Minister became the common slogan on everyone’s lips.

A local group by the name of “Apuna Lup” spearheaded a movement for the resignation of the man in power. It is only a matter of time for how long the people of this state would endure so much injustice and corruption.

It is a shame that people like U.M Ibobi Singh are in power. An incompetent man in power always contributes towards the complete fall out of any particular regime. History is a sole witness to all the uncertain times that happened in different phases of time. In our country, the various men in power under the mercy of one woman sitting in their air-conditioned offices can offer only bizarre explanations to even out all adverse circumstances. They sit on the cushion of power watching hapless women strip in front of the world and do nothing just like an impotent king not able to produce an heir. in his bout of madness as Rome burned, Mr. Ibobi Singh seems to do the same as anarchy is knocking at the gates of democracy threatening to hold the whole nation at gunpoint. Just a matter of time………

Just like the Roman emperor Nero who fiddling with his lute