Friday, June 29, 2012

Converting 'lies' to 'truth' – Yeah Its Possible in Democracy

By: Rinku Khumukcham
Imphal, 29 June, 2012
Passing of motion of thanks to the governor’s address delivered on the first sitting of 10th Manipur Legislative Assembly session by the members of the house on June 28, 2012, without much debate between the treasury and opposition benches shows clear message about the credibility of the Okram Ibobi Singh’s administrations.  The award conferred on to his government by India Today group as the best ‘improved state’ no more creates doubt to the credibility of the largest media organization of the nation.

The symbiotic characteristic of both the treasury and opposition benches in the 10th Manipur Legislative Assembly deserves credit for upholding the accountability of the Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh who rules the state for 3 consecutive terms.
It is indeed a fact that the decade long conflict which was the outcome of the differences between government and the rebel groups had been somewhat put to a complete calm, though many civilian lives were lost during the process. Various armed rebel groups of the region has been tamed and accumulated at safety zone to restore peace in the region. The changes brought about in the state of Manipur both in terms of improvement in law and order system as well as the constructions of infrastructures need to be appreciated.
But are we convinced to conceive the level of appreciation.
Converting ‘lie’ to ‘truth’ is no more a taught job for anybody with majority in number in the legislator’s house to the practice of democracy. A matter of majority and a matter of creating mutual understanding with the opposition is what they required.
Are we ready to applause for the lies that have been converted to truth?
How far is it correct to say that the Assembly secretariat at capitol project has been handed over to the public when it is not even handed over to the Assembly secretariat authority by the Simplex Construction Company? How people could accept when one say that the MTDC or the city convention center has been completed and handed over to the public when both the structures still remain as a body without soul. Do any of us find any room for appreciation to the present condition of Roads connectivity, drinking water and electricity supply?
The present government under the leadership of Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh has left no stone unturned in term of shutting off every sort of oppositions.  
The legislators at both the treasury bench and the opposition bench had tied a knot of close relationships. Even the state media, which has been considered as the fourth estate has not even been left off.
Dirty tricks of the peoples’ representatives often perform to fool the public, had been taking center-stage at almost all newspapers and news channels of the state in the last couple of decades. Promises, assurances and false pretenses to befool the general public by responsible heads of the state are the common menace that slur on the mind of the middle class public by the members belonging to the fourth estate. It is not the integrity of the journalist that compelled them to slur on with the phenomenon, but it is rather the society’s responses which prompt them to dance on the tune of the existing government.
To talk about the roles being taken by the judiciary and executive would be, perhaps ‘a waste of time’. The symbiotic existence of the treasury and opposition bench in the legislators’ house had converted the judiciary as toothless component of the government while an unpleasant gesture to comfort the near and dear one of the chief minister becomes a part of life for executives in this little state called Manipur.
 The academicians, civil rights activists, pressure groups, etc. have been drug to join the chorus at any tune played by the government.
Manipur today enters to a golden phase as according to the resolution passed by the august house of the 10th Manipur Legislative session on 28th June 2012. But only few are able to realize that the state is really entering to a gold tinted phase.
  


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