- Due credit must be accorded to the central government for laying tremendous emphasis on the Northeastern part of the country vis-à-vis developmental initiatives by pumping in huge amounts of funds. The infrastructure-focused endeavors of the center to ensure the Northeastern part doesn’t feel left out as compared to other regions is nothing short of commendable. Make no mistake, there used to be a time when people from the region used to feel alienated owing to the lopsided policies of the earlier regimens. The Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA has placed the region as one of the top priorities by working tirelessly towards bringing the region into the national mainstream. The results are out there for the comprehending lot to see.
PC: PTI
- The people of the region have acknowledged the central government’s efforts by choosing the BJP and its allies in most of the Northeastern states. However, Manipur has been on the boil for over a month now starkly exposing the undercurrents of disenchantment and discord amongst the various communities, including the tribals and migrants. As violence continues, the government needs to seriously review the functioning of Manipur’s administration and police to bring the situation under control. Unfortunately, the gruesome case of arson continues that recently saw an ambulance being torched in front of police personnel, burning alive a seven-year-old boy, his mother, and a relative on the outskirts of Imphal, indicating the collapse of law & order machinery.
- As reported, the boy, who had been staying at an Assam Rifles relief camp that hosted members of the Kuki community was earlier injured in firing by miscreants. It was while taking him to the hospital that the ambulance – under the escort of Manipur police – was waylaid by a mob, allegedly from the Meitei community. The ongoing turmoil in Manipur is chock-full of such incidents where the state police have simply melted away. The recent attack on Congress MLA’s residence by suspected Kuki insurgents and the torching of 32 houses of the Kuki-inhabited Nanyang village happened despite GOI making serious attempts to work towards peace. The entire state is facing the heat of the violence, but authorities appear to be overwhelmed by the situation.
PC: Aditi Joshi
- This underscores a simple reality: No matter how many central forces GOI deploys to the strife-torn state, law and order cannot be enforced without the professional, unbiased, conduct of the local police. The violence in Manipur has endangered huge distrust between the state’s Meitei and Kuki communities. As such, the failure of the police strengthens the belief among the tribal communities that their only source of protection is the armed ethnic insurgents. So, a vicious cycle is in play where the abdication of the state police force is providing a fillip to insurgency, which in turn is making peace in Manipur, even more elusive. Thus, both the central and state governments should ensure law and order situation is brought under control forthwith.
