Delhi: Manipur’s protest capital

By:- David Buhril *

Delhi has become the desired protest stage for the issues in Manipur. Is this because the issues are shelved in Manipur? Ignored ? Unaccomodated? Or is it because Delhi shelters the band of right authorities. But many a times the authorities at the Centre seem to be washing their Pilate hands, excusing on the Centre and State divide of powers and authorities.

One lawyer in Delhi also opines that it would have been more effective if the protesters instead of straining out in Delhi rather petition the Manipur government through the state high court. But the band of protesters from Manipur who protested in Delhi seems to find them “helpless” in Manipur. “Useless”, they find their resort to petitioning and appealing the authorities in Manipur. The reasons are best known to them. And for that matter, best known to everyone. The unwakeable Leviathan remains firm.

Last year, in April 4, about thousand students braved the heat in Delhi to protest against Tipaimukh rape, displacement, landmines, and the Government of Manipur’s silent irresponsibility. That was immediately followed by a protest against the proposed Tipaimukh dam. In the latter part of the same year, Irom Sharmila Chanu slipped out of the high security walls weaved for her in Manipur to continue her protest and demand for the repeal of AFSPA in Delhi. That was followed by a mass protest at ITO on October 11,2006. That altogether made four different protests from Manipur in Delhi in 2006.

This year, just one day after Sharmila left her protest stage in Delhi, Kuki leaders reached Delhi from Chandel, Manipur to protest. Their baggage of complaints weigh with issues and cases of landmines, internal displacement and other serious cases of human rights violations, which have been petitioned repeatedly to the concerned authorities in Manipur by the Kuki Chiefs Association and Kuki Students’ Organisation. These issues were raised in their first protest rally on March 5,2007 at Jantar Mantar and Parliament Street. Their memorandum with several demands and appeals were submitted to the highest authorities at the Centre.

Then again on March 23,2007, the Kuki protesters, besides the previous issues, rallied and protested against the abduction of 400 displaced Kukis from their grouping centre in TS Laijang, Chandel, which ended with the arrest and jailed of more than 150 Kuki students in Tihar. The rally ended injuring more than 20 Delhi Police personnel and also more than 20 Kuki students. Some were seriously injured. That again gave birth to another round of protest that took place on March 26 in front of Delhi Police Headquarter where the same unattended serious issues were raised again, besides also condemning the police atrocities meted to the protesting students.

The already popular culture should awake anyone to reflect on the truth, which has already become inconvenient for everyone. The language and expressions pregnating the slogans, placards and banners are full of unanswered questions. They are enough to wake the concerned authorities to become proactive from their irresponsible negligence. They are also enough to wake the reason and conscience of the silent spectators. Unfortunately, Chief Minister Ibobi’s effigy was burnt again. Last year the flames gulped it on April 4. Then again on March 23, 2007. He must have seen the reported news-photograph of his burning effigy on his recent Delhi’s trip to structure his powerhouse. Chief Minister Ibobi is yet to wake, after the victorious elections, to the many serious issues of extreme urgency awaiting government attention.

I used to wonder what Shirin Ebadi, the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize winner and human rights activist, who was very concerned about situations in Manipur, would say if she was updated about the recent developments in Manipur. She would blame everyone for the unfortunate situations in Manipur. She would have made the Prime Minister responsible. The President responsible. The military responsible. The Chief Minister responsible. His ministers responsible. The bands of non-state actors responsible. The press and journalists responsible. The Church responsible. Shirin Ebadi actually said, “Each one of you journalists is responsible because you did not do your duty. You never write about the innocent people dying in the North East.”

Jurgen Habermas would also be situating what he call “refeudalisation” from the stream of protesters who are carrying their burden baggage out of Manipur to Delhi. I don’t know if my concern for Manipur has led me to see this as our progress towards degeneration in the inevitable historical process, which is unfortunate. But the public sphere should be saved and maintained for the same people, which otherwise will lead everyone to hold the last thin straw. There are too many things that we need to be pragmatic with in such place and time of ours. What would that be then? It would be breaking the wall of silence, which we have successfully built. It would be to galvanise our efforts and stand for what is right sans who you are. It would be to break the cocoon of unquestioned attachment that we inherit in compartments and corners of community, ethnicity, language, and all those that define one from that “us and them.” The to-do list would be endless. But we must be collectively proactive. Otherwise, Delhi as the protest capital for Manipur will remain.