TOP DOWN OR BOTTOM UP

TOP DOWN OR BOTTOM UP

Nandigram, Godra and recent Mumbai violence are prominent examples of political violence resulting in loss of valuable lives & properties. If media reports are to be gone by it is also a societal violence of divisive nature. Similarly violence in the North East against Hindi speaking people also reflects the same attitude. Recently vibrant colours of famous Yaoshang (Holi) festival of Manipur were more blood red due to dastardly killings of innocent people on 17 th and 18 th March 08. Sadly the onus of this heinous crime has not been pointed out yet.

Violence leads to trauma & stress beyond proportions affecting larger number than aimed. It leads to post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The degree varies depending on the state of mind, proximity to the place of incident, intensity of violence etc. If we equate the violence to a boat and society to water then we can say water is the same on both sides of the boat i.e. it affects all alike in the society.

Violence in North East is one of the strategies adopted by militant to arm twist the elected government and let the fear psychosis stay among the masses. Probably they have learnt the lesson of divisive politics very well. In 2007 there was carnage of non Assamese people in Tinsukhia and Karbi Anglong in Assam. Now, 15 non locals have been mercilessly killed in Manipur in March 08. There are endless such incidents to quote. How it affects the society can be seen from some of the reactions of public and elected leaders.

It is a fact that, in NE region, non locals are dominating the labour work irrespective of the type of work e.g. Dhobi, Mason, Brick klin labour, household help, Barber, Cobbler etc. that are not under taken by sons of the soil. A kind of inseparable functional dependence exists between the locals and non locals. The same can be gauged from what the locals say after such dastardly killings. After Tinsukhia killings Mr Phukan (40) a brick klin owner said, “We are employed youth. We have taken loan to start business and if our factory closes down completely, we will have no way but to commit suicide.” After killings in Manipur, one Sanatomba from Thoubal did not find his regular barber because the shops were shut. He had to go to attend ‘Nuptha’ (ear piercing ceremony) of his friend’s son. Finally after a long wait he had the hair cut and was able to reach the function barely in time.

Besides functional difficulties there is fear in the minds of non locals and locals both. To quote one, Santosh Prasad (of Bhojpur) who stayed at Kakching (Manipur) said after his brother’s death, “I have decided to leave, after my brother is cremated for the safety of our lives.” Rahul(12) who lost his father when his mother is carrying another child (to be delivered soon) in her womb. He says, “I don’t want to stay here anymore. I can not see the killing of any more of my family members’. (Imphal Free Press datelined 20 March 08).

It is not only the non locals but locals are also worried about the cascading effect such acts may have. To quote one of the worried parents,” two of my kids are studying in West Bengal’s Durgapur. I am worried about them and I call them up everyday.” One of the members of Hindu Smaj said, “We would not take the bodies back to our native states for cremation since it might cause communal riots.” Wow! What a responsible thought during the hour of crisis?

Violence has no caste, no creed and no religion. It occurs due to utmost selfish motives of hegemony and making easy money. GOOGLY cartoon in Sangai express datelined 20 March 08 was really apt to the situation. Boss asks,” we are broke, we need bucks! Any Solution.” There comes the answer, “Simple boss! Let’s announce the name of new outfit in the news papers.” These outfits have no affinity to any one but self interests alone. In March 08 apprrox 67 tribal families have been made homeless in Dhalai district of Tripura by National Liberation Front of Tripura. (Eastern Mirror datelined 23 March 08).

Cries of the killings have been heard in Dehli and various MPs have reacted differently without introspection. Gurudas Gupta (CPI) said, “The country would not remain united if killings were allowed to continue in the name of regionalism”. During zero hour of Lok Sabha on 19 Mar 08, Dr Meinya, an MP from inner parliamentary constituency of Manipur urged the union Government to intervene and extend all possible help and support to Manipur. He said, “we have many armed insurgent out fits operating in the North Eastern region. In this region, even the official bungalows of the Ministers & MLAs are being attacked with grenades & bombs. “But the minister did not bring out the bungalows that are attacked are also being used to harbor the militants.

What these honorable MPs have brought out is very right? The act has to be condemned & addressed in the best possible manner. Before that we need to address the seed of regionalism, casteism, religion etc sown by our leaders for vote bank politics. Should this seed be destroyed first to check the trees of violence grow?

Now is the time, for the whole nation to decide. Should our leaders stop making deals for vote bank politics & divide the society? Should our leaders propagate a genuine message of homogenous society and bonhomie? Should the society decide to live cohesively and not fall prey to the vote bank baits of political leaders? Difference in the two is; if it goes top down it is correcting and guiding the system and if it goes bottom up it is revolution. Decide soon before the words prophesied by Gurudas Gupta (CPI MP) come true.


Geoffery
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