As Manipur burns

Are we in the habit of first taking a wait-and-watch approach, or just play a routine role, and then look for ways to blame others when things spill out of control? Is it a kind of play-safe approach we follow without coming to action mode and facilitating quick solutions? Had there been genuine intent followed by real action, things may have gone a different way

- PRAVESH JAIN

Fifteen have been shot dead; over 100 killed; over 300 wounded; more than 25 churches burnt; many houses vandalized and several thousand people relocated. And the anger still burns.

Welcome to today’s Manipur, a place known for its peace-loving people, nature-loving tribals, green forests, beautiful landscapes and a history and culture filled with the richness.

Weeks have passed. But it seems the Central and state governments have failed to bring the place back to normalcy. Peace still seems distant. Only certain ad hoc measures have been taken, maybe to ensure temporary calm, however uneasy it maybe. The big question here is whether the system of governance, backed by its own intelligence, have helped prevent the burning of a state? Why was preventive machinery conspicuous by its absence? The other question is if a government, with a strong will and better reflexes, could have controlled the situation and put out the fire that kept flaring. These questions need answers, whether one finds them in the conscience of politics or in the premises of the judiciary.

The Chief Minister of Manipur, N Biren Singh stated that the riots were instigated by “prevailing misunderstanding between two communities” and appealed for restoration of normality. That, at the outset, looked more like a pious hope than a serious concern to find solutions.

Sashi Tharoor, a member of parliament of the opposition Congress called for President’s rule and blamed the BJP-led government, saying it had failed to govern the state. This again is nothing more than a formal statement an opposition party would make. There were no solutions on offer.