By:- Thounaojam Brinda
All hate the problems, yet all contribute to the problems knowingly or unknowingly.
None of the valley nationalists claim to hate Manipur. All hate the problems, yet all contribute to the problems knowingly or unknowingly. All are right, all who do not conform are wrong. All have a problem, each has all the solutions in the world. The problems are
ethnicity, religion, community, region, gender, nationalism issue, and patriotic diffidence, anything under the sky of Manipur. The hills hate Manipur and the valley loves to hate the hills in the name of integrity and unity. Rogue state that it is, it has all the assets, including the patriots who claim to love it while strangulating it with all the problems they feel is the sky collapsing on earth.
According to the information perceived and received through various mediums and from what is being seen and felt, the divided sections feel each or many number of problems they project are the most critical ones that need immediate attention to secure the future of the people of this land. Peace, violence (non-stop killings), religion and its big-rich-fat pea-brained fan club, ethnocentric projections, cries for selective issues rather than zooming out the lens of our vision to see the real picture. We love to be in fear and love more to trust the state in clinging to the hope that this system is still good for the people and that something will always come out of it. We love to give the benefit of doubt to this failed state. Who is responsible? Plato rightly spoke of people begetting the government they deserve.
Since the occupation from 15th October, 1949, how many terms of state elections have been held democratically?
In the penal parlance, the accused is given the benefit of doubt invariably. So, it is pertinent to find out who is the accused in the present trial of the People Vs State. Who is a state? Who make up a state? What allegedly is the nature of state we live in? Democracy! Obviously as per the claims made in the biggest Constitution of the biggest democracy in the world. Being a democracy, we elect our representatives (I have never exercised by franchise till yet) through Universal Franchise at regular intervals or according to need. This is the Vote of Democracy. We vote. Does it give all the legitimacies that the vote claims to have? How are our votes obtained? It is the most sensible common sense prevalent that we consider it most legitimate to sell our votes for a price. Why do we sell our votes?
When people live on hand to mouth mostly with no secure essential needs, further deteriorating in the economic-socio-political profile, how will one not taste the drop of venomous honey that is put on the parched lips? People do not know what is vote, why they vote and for whom they have to vote. In this dangerously ill informed age and the increasing number of idiots and exploited class alike, the hungry stomach sees only that Rs 500/- INR dangled as the venomous honey before the hunger. Since the occupation from 15th October, 1949, how many terms of state elections have been held democratically? Vote health is considered a vital parameter for measuring the health of democracy. When the votes are sold and bought, how the hell is this system supposed to be accepted as a democracy? Under exploitative capitalism, everything is a commodity. Commodity is saleable and buyable. Hence, our vote is a commodity, and thus our right to life. How much of the quality of our life has improved since?
Under contractual law, the Constitutional Monarch was deceived into making him visit the Red Lands, Shillong. The aftermath compose of everything that violates all contractual, treaty laws of natural justice. Hence, the Constitutional Monarch was deceived, his assembly not informed and consulted (sections did though toxically chose to remain silent, that included the intellects too, sad portion of real history), put under duress, obtained his signature coercively. Democratic elections followed, the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958 (much before as has been uncovered by scholars) swooped down on the indigenous population which was unprepared for an imperialist expansion from another state whom it considered friendly neighbor as the last blow to wipe out the people whom India consider enemy. The enemies of the state. A daughter has been fasting for over sixteen years. Who have heard her? For whom she has been fasting? Doesn’t she fantasy having a normal life and a family? How many peaceful protests have been heard? Who is responsible for safeguarding our basic human rights? Who are violating the same? Hence, the legitimacy of our votes need a Litmus Test.
The Meeteis, being the numerically largest and materially of higher consumption from the rest of the co-ethnic groups, have bigger responsibilities.
We sell our universal franchise, in fact, we are compelled to by the prevailing political-economy. Anything that is obtained by compulsion is void ab initio in the eyes of law. What is the legality is the issue rather than being lawful. Law is made by the elites to safeguard themselves from awakened public and to exploit the exploited. Anything that is void in the eyes of law cannot be legitimated by any amount of percentage turnouts or number of repetitions. The Signature on the Instrument of Annexation was obtained using deceit and force. Preconditions void and illegal. These are not my claims. Treaty and Contractual laws say so. The consequent elections have not been free and fair. Adverse possession or occupation cannot be legitimized by illegally obtained votes. Only the seals obtained through free and fair transparent votes from informed people are fair and legitimate. As claimed, the percentage turnout in elections in Jammu & Kashmir have increased almost exponentially over the years, but has the Valley known peace? Same is with Manipur. In spite of all the fun fare associated in the gaiety of elections and the almost constantly high turnouts, has the Valley of the present Manipur known peace? What was wrong at the inception has to be undone by complete disclosure of all wrongs till date. This, by all stakeholders.
The Meeteis, being the numerically largest and materially of higher consumption from the rest of the co-ethnic groups, have bigger responsibilities. Democracy is largely a number game. Not all the voices are heard. In our scenario, the peoples’ voices have been left on deaf ears of all players. Talk of life, water, medical care, electricity, education, in which filed have we progressed? Religion can never be a solution to any problem. Ethno centrism is the template to quarrel with all groups and wedge divisions within the ethnic community itself. Reformation, rather than revivalism, is what we need. Being an indigenous is itself so complete, we can protect our every right by just being an indigenous. Why we allow so much divisions that are irrelevant in the stark stare of Look East Policy that is going to be as swift as Tupul Railways. Are we celebrating our funeral? Of our genocide. When we are neck deep in shit, we shall know what respect of others’ regions or the perils of ethnocentrism. Why do we have to impose Meetei Script to everyone? Why the Manipur interest seems to invariably fuse with Meetei interests? Being rooted (hourakpham mashak khangba haidoh) is what is demanded of a healthy indigenous. Meetei is rather a way of life, not a religion as much as any other belief is when spirituality is the enzyme that fuels the compassion in humanity subtracting blind faith from religion.
Stop the Schedule Tribe demand. Stop digging our own grave. Stop being bigots and pathetic. We need to lend our hand to get a hand in return. The Meetei elites and the elites of all groups rooted in this region have the biggest roles as much as they are one of the biggest stakeholders of this imbroglio. The socio-economic-political dimensions in relation to the imbroglio with reference to proper and real historical context need to be properly digested by the stakeholders, especially the intellects who are interested. We need to focus on strengthening the communication and work harder towards making it more effective and genuine amongst the ethnics, between and amongst each other. High time to get away from dancing to the deadly tunes of imperialist divides. Shall we fix the bureaucrats who give away the domiciles to non-indigenous and enter their names in electoral rolls fraudulently rather than arson in the Inner Line Permit?
High time to question the legitimacy of our votes. To question who is responsible for the passé. We only elect our representatives. We are given no choice as all the choices are crooks. All the vanguards of peoples’ rights movements (over and under) have submerged themselves as contractor rights activists. Only we can make ourselves be heard. Stop hitting on the bandh button. Why do not we call the people responsible for our woes on public discussions rather? Who benefit most out of bandhs? Who suffer most? No one trust each other in this land under the murderous regime of this imperialist violent system. Who will we turn to? There will come a time when the armed state force refuse to follow orders, when people have no more sufferings to suffer, when death is defied and fear shed, the elites will find not even a rat hole to hide. No election will appeal to the awakened all suffered and exploited mass.
That is when the Revolution will take place successfully, with or without violence, to end the Imbroglio.
