The politics of crocodile tears and victim bashing!

 The politics of crocodile tears and victim bashing!

Enough, Enough and beyond limits of tolerance and reasonableness.

While the victims of the senseless mayhem, ethnic violence that engulfed our state, Manipur,  are languishing in makeshift relief camp, left without a secure future and means of livelihood; the whole of Imphal valley is  erupting in some "Manipur Integrity" politics. Calls for political lynching of 10 MLAs who had sought for "Separate Administration" is drowning out the voices of the victims and their plight. Vungzagin Valte's lynching in the heart of Imphal must have traumatized these MLAs, can we really blame them for responding to their basic human Instinct of self-preservation and life? Many of the victims may not have been consulted nor asked to give their views on whether they want a "Separate Administration" or for that matter anything! Kukis / KIM / MLAs even SoO groups who have always stood for "Manipur Integrity" and peaceful co-existence have now lost their faith in the concept of Manipuriness and right to life and security in present day Manipur. They must have been so deeply  traumatized to the point of seeking for a peaceful separation. (At times like these, individuals have to restrain  their voice and the collective group-think overrides sound reasoning  and free thinking. I had always been a firm believer in our shared  construct of "Manipuriness" and geographical integrity of Manipur but the recent events shook even hardcore Manipuri like us to the core, who will restore our faith in Manipur now). Your dharnas and  sloganeering is not bringing communities together. I am not here to say I support or oppose the demand of 10 MLAs of the Hills seeking for a separate administrative set up). 

When the MLAs could collectively come to a conclusion that even they are not safe in Manipur,   you can well imagine the plight of the common people and their sense of hopelessness and insecurity. You can't blame survivors crying out for a security and a secure future. If we really want "Manipur integrity", valley community must work on yourselves first.  The emotional trauma and schism must be addressed with empathy and compassion. While I feel the pain of my Meitei brothers and sisters who have lost their homes in the hills, I am relieved that they were not hunted like animals and  made to go through inhumane life-threatening abuses and assaults as Kuki-Chin-Mizo people were subjected to in Imphal and valley areas. On a scale of who was targeted and proportionality, the tribals unfortunately comes out as the real victims individually and as a community. 

Imphal's Chin-Kuki-Mizo-Zomi-Hmar community on a rough economic scale would have owned about 70 percent of the entire wealth of their community taken a gross community wealth. Destruction of their economic base appears deliberate and well planned. Destruction of the economic base of who's who of  these communities is expected tol set back these communities for at least a generation. Rough estimates of houses burnt down, churches and wealth looted comes to about 2000 crores to 2500 crores excluding the land value. I acknowledge the loss and the pain of my Meitei community in the hills because when you are in the same boat your shared-misfortune brings you together. All victims must be given their share of justice they deserve. This is the time for outreach and helping out the victims. No time for crocodile tears politics. Your sloganeering only  opens up the wounds which are yet to heal from both sides.

My house, your homes and our lives remains shattered and wrecked. Life as we know, my family and your family life, is interrupted and we might not feel the full impact of what those miscreants have done to our souls right now.... Cause our survival instinct has kicked in and we do what we can to survive. The real question is what's next. The parading of victims in the media as if minority victims from hill towns are bearing the brunt while the tribal victims are excluded from the narrative is not helpful to the victims cause in totality. The saddest part in all this coordinated madness is the loss of humanity in Manipur. The Meeiteis by  dint of being the majority had always taken on the role of patient elder brother, this time you have lost yourself to the militant fringe and ethnic based think tank amongst you. We leave it to you how you want to tackle the plague that has burn down the very thing you and we all have worked all our lives to preserve - the idea of Manipur. But before we plan to climb the summit and talk the talk,  keep the victims in your heart and heads.

The voices that we hear from the valley through our Imphal based media houses are far from what should be. One sided and biased-reporting is what led us to the carnage. Time for civil society from valley to step in and put a reign on these  individuals. Name calling and dehumanising of entire community has continued even after these communities were subjected to such inhumane crimes.

Stop victim bashing for the love of God. In time, we could heal a little and who knows we could sit accross the table and maybe a shared tomorrow could possibly be one of the agenda for deliberation.

P. Chongloui