There is a strange confusion in Manipur over the purview of morality vis a vis the context of the political, social and cultural layers and situation in the state. The growing incidence of mob justice that is slowly beginning to assume a certain state of legitimacy and social acceptance as part of fair play and mob-social justice is a clear indication of this blurred aspect. The nature of mobs often border on impassioned moments where logic and rationality are not entertained. With mobs, there can be no strategically planned actions since the main focus is on what is called the ‘heat of the moment’. Unfortunately in Manipur, the culture of action by concerned department and official authorities also play its part in cultivating the mob culture of social actions. The trouble begins with the leeway that is given to various social organizations, clubs and even students groups, in their various social drives which are hinged on their rendition of morality. The surprise factor here is the total absence of a room for dissenting and saner voices: where anything and everything that a small vocal group shouts out loud is considered gospel and sacrosanct by the silent larger majority on the social level while on the legal aspect, not even bonafide agencies want to get into opposing mode or taking any legal action in response to the actions that such moral forces take up but which is not legally permissible. The lack of punishment for acts like announcing social ostracization by certain groups, dismantling houses of people that such groups deem as deserving of the action being taken on account of various social crimes, the ‘seizure of alcohol or drugs’ made by various women bodies, the restaurant drives etc to mention only a few have only emboldened more and more people and assorted groups to follow the herd mentality and copy the acts of social justice by mobs. There has been no question on who decides the moral nature of another person and based on what codes except to look on as mere spectators relieved that their turn has not come.
For every scenario mentioned above, there is the legal route with acts in place where the police needs to be called in and cases filed: for cases of impropriety in public, for purchasing and also selling alcohol in a dry state, for stealing, for rape, for molestation, for copying in examinations, for running unregistered restaurants. The list is endless but given that the legal work is tedious and the police system not exactly people friendly, the easy way out is to let off steam through moral drives as a form of self-delusion that at least, some action is being taken. Those taking up the mantle of being the ‘moral police’ will not have the readiness to look within and examine their own moral fabric. But what is equally sad is that, for every action that is considered to be of ‘low moral nature’, there is only violence and rage in the form of a readiness to humiliate the people who have been unfortunate enough to be caught in such drives instead of trying to find a way of sanely discussing how matters can be resolved peacefully.
In a certain time and age, the Meira Paibis had in their earlier days started like one such group that almost took on a legal unit with its drives against alcohol and drug use. They were then called the Nishabandis, a name that speaks for itself. The legitimacy that such a group came to hold came from the fact that the Nishabandis were roped in by the state forces in the late 70’s to aid them in body searches of women alcohol vendors. The social sanction came in once the Nishabandis took on the role of being human rights defenders. While the nuances are layered and complex, there is no room for doubt that Manipur today hosts a gamut of organizations that are considered a law unto them. The frightening part of it is that those involved as moral guardians may well end up taking their roles seriously and over step the boundaries one day, which would be unfortunate. Social and community groups are needed to keep the focus on what ails society but perhaps, the time has come to realize and take action on the fact that such groups and their actions cannot and must not end up creating another social ill.