Goonda-giri in Manipur

By Madhu Chandra

Anyone born after 1980 will hardly know that Manipur was one of the most peaceful states in India. While taking the bus route from Guwahati to Imphal, I used to impatiently wait to reach the inter-state boundary of Manipur and Nagaland at Mao gate, because the road from there used to be better 10 years ago. But the story is other way around now.

The killing culture of Manipur is yet to affirm in defining “Who kills who?” The land that used to be self sufficient, has fallen its economic worth in last few decades and it is yet to affirm in defining “Who should be held responsible?” The education badly hit by socio-political condition of the state has left dim future scope of education and it is yet to affirm in defining “Who has destined it?” The social fabric of peace and harmony was social bonding factor among the people of the state; now hardly trust anyone and it is yet to affirm in defining “What destroys the fabric that bound the society?”
What is the relation of these hard questions to the goonda-giri of Manipur? Are we sensing this new form of criminalization in the state and non-state forces’ propaganda? The daily reports highlighted in local print media and the public outcry almost every third day, seems some goonda-giri culture developing.

The goonda giri is seen clearly in the recent brutal killings of Manipur Civil Service Dr. Thingnam Kishan, Prof. Islamuddin of Manipur University and contractor and social worker Yengkhom Krishnadas of Kakching. For the first, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken up the case after the outcry of the public. For the second, high level of state got involved and accused are arrested and for the last, Manipur Police is yet to establish who are the actual culprits and public still outrage in protest.

Surely, there is a greater concern for the future of the state, if the goonda giri of the state is uncontrolled.

Draconian law of Arm Forces Special Power Act 1958, under which the armed personnel are empowered in the name of fighting militants and leaves no rights to the civilians even to fight back legally for misusage of the power. This draconian law should be opposed because the state permits its forces to kill the innocent and it gives no legal rights to the civilians to fight the defaulters. Yet it was imposed first upon the Mongoloid looking communities of north east India for 51 years and secondly extended to Sikh communities and now to Jammu and Kashmir from 1992. Or should we call AFSPA as racial draconian law of world’s largest democratic country?

The killing culture of Manipur has been openly blamed to security personnel all these years but the time has come now to ask an honest question on “Who Kills Who in Manipur?” Do not be surprised; the reports of killings everyday does not happen all over the state of Manipur. It happens mostly in Manipur valley which means the killing is mostly among Meitei communities. Majority of security personnel recruited are from the public of Manipur. Therefore, if there is any killing by the security personnel, then it will be the killing between the same citizens of the state. Many will disagree at this point, saying that the arm special power force is the outflow of Indian government’s ideology, of which many have debated that armed power has failed to suppress armed struggle, therefore the best option could be, to fight the ideology of why young people in Manipur takes up arm?

The system practiced in extortion, kidnapping, killing and public strike, all have their unique causes and reasons but what worries the most is the fact the system seems resigned to the diktats of goonda-giri.

The public who suffers the most from what the state is going through for years, needs to be convinced about the state security forces which are paradoxically empowered to keep the law and order of the state, are involved in this goonda-giri. This also seems to be seen with the non-state forces, which conjured to have come out in struggle for state nationhood.

Too many are crises of the state that whom to listen has confused Manipur Government. Every thing has urgency therefore nothing gets the priority.

While goonda-giri rises, the law and order and home department of the state is in mess. Developmental work is totally paralysed, of which no department of the state seems to worry. There is not enough power supply all over the state even to charge mobile phones, which the ministers and VIPs hardly experience because their official quarters are provided electricity 24x7. None dares to check the list, “who is accountable” for all goonda-giri of the state.