Leader writer: Paojel Chaoba
The members of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) have deliberated with the concerned stakeholders of the State in a two day seminar at the Hotel Classic focused on substance abuse among minors. A member of the Commission has given a statement to the media that Manipur may be apex in tobacco abuse among the northeastern states.
This notion may be true or not but, hardly comes as a surprise. The real surprise is that Ibobi Singh at the inaugural function of the seminar had raised his concern by toying with the idea of raising the prices of tobacco products in order to curb consumption among minors. He even went on to say that the Centre will be approached to suggest a nationwide blanket ban on tobacco products for effectiveness. In this times, with the financial power behind the business houses and the political strings duly attached, Ibobi Singh’s ‘suggestion document’ might be used for making a paper plane by the higher ups and thrown out of the window.
His statement also exhibits powerlessness to act on his cabinet decision to ban tobacco products in the State. There have been no substantive seizures by the concerned departments post ban to deter the traders and for further enforcing the ban. Rather, the wholesale agents and retailers have raised the price of the products and the status quo is for all to enjoy and pre-ban or post-ban does not matter. The thought is whether the politicians and police officials have been offered a ‘kwa’ by the dealers to turn the blind-eye and that kwa must come at a significant daily or monthly cost, but forked up ultimately from the consumers pocket. The betel trader’s trades at Imphal bazar blatantly while chewing away with a crimson smile. To be surprised or not with the state of affairs is entirely up to the individual perception.
Thus, in an open forum, Ibobi Singh makes highly questionable statements and one cannot but help question the credibility of the thinking process of the leader of the House. Here, it may be stated that the recommendations or orders clamped by a government or from a commission birthed by it responds to only to those profitable for the government. The State Vigilance Commission, Manipur Human Rights Commission, State Women’s Commission and the newly birthed State Commission for Protection of Child Rights have done a commendable job, for doing nothing.
The NCPCR recommendations also fall into this category. The Commission may recommend various to-do things to the concerned departments but how effectively has that been translated into action is another reality. The recommendations of the last hearing conducted by the NCPCR in 2011 at Kangla still remain in cryostasis and are not likely to melt at anytime soon.
The intentions of the members of the commissions may be in the best interest but how their recommendations are to be made effective is also another point to be chalked out through a dialectic exercise. The monitoring system is a major setback for proper implementation of a Commission’s recommendations. The monitoring system has to be changed and an effective machinery has to be devised for holistic redressal of the concerned stakeholders.
Here or elsewhere, civil organizations (NGOs) and government department go along parallel lines, opinion wise and in practice however both advocate a populist agenda. If the well being of the public in all its dimensions is paramount to either then both are working towards a common objective. It would be reasonable to outsource the monitoring work by a government department to an NGO for following up on the recommendations made by a commission. For example, NCPCR can recommend the education department to build ramps at government schools for accommodating wheelchairs for the differently abled. But, up-to what status that has been achieved and what are the problems in implementation by the department can be cross-checked by an NGO and tabled to the NCPCR. This may result in effectiveness and transparency. Recently, an ad-hoc monitoring team was sanctioned by the Ukhrul DC to check the attendance of teachers of government schools. The schools of the districts were inspected for attendance by the NGO and the defaulting teachers were listed and later highlighted in the media.
It is not one’s capacity to address the multifold malfunctions of the administrative system and it is understood that pointing an accusive finger is always easy. However, the media has the obligatory watchdog status of the society and pointing out the Achilles heel comes as part of the job description.
It is said that parallel lines never meet, but the earlier example proves that government and civil bodies can work effectively for positive development. The Commission came, saw, recommend and may go back. But the need of the hour is practicability and transparency in the interest of the public.