One sure thing that we have learnt from the brutal murder of Maisnam Devaraj, a JCB operator, is that nowadays in Manipur you can trust the next person you come across at your own risk. Anybody who had been keeping in touch with the events happening in the state regularly will agree that it is not a conclusion that had been derived in hastiness. The senseless killing of Satyabhama and autorickshaw driver Nobin among others, the frequent cases of sexual assaults, many of which have incestuous tinge or involve a familiar person as the perpetrator, the involvement of law enforcers in drug deals and trafficking and other criminal activities including rapes are irrefutable indicators that we have descended into an era of lawlessness. Vain talks by one and all about the probity of our society have been exposed as misleading and ultimately self-destructive. Is the innocence and godliness that we associated ourselves with the Manipuri society a myth or at least a thing of the past? Has the time come for the rude awakening that our society is on the path to decadence, festered by the sharp claws of immorality. Who will be rescuing us from this unfavorable position?
The system that governs should be our best bet in such devastating situation. But, our past shocks are stopping us from making such a commitment. No doubt, we have a very affable and media friendly minister to head the home department. No doubt he has been trying to be a mascot of good things that the department hopes to offer. But that alone does not suffice for us to rekindle our faith in the administration. What the common people long for is a government that has a deep value for human life, the capability to deliver justice to those who attempts to safeguard it and award exemplary punishment to those who disregard it. The people long for a system on which they can place a blind faith on. It longs for an efficient law enforcement unit to thwart the occurrence of unwanted crimes and to secure their safety.
On the contrary, innocent people like Devaraj and Nobin are being crucified on the cross in their journey to earn a livelihood. The much acclaimed respect for woman has lost its values as exemplified in the way Satyabhama was murdered and in the numerous rape cases that have surfaced routinely. Despite the existence of vigilante organizations and alert groups, crimes against woman and child have seeped in to each and every corner of the state. The plight faced by the people is a classical case of the government’s divergence from focusing on good governance.