Move over Kangla; now it's Manipur University!

Continued from the previous post..

The president was all smiles but the bonhomie was shortlived. We asked for a photo-op and he happily agreed. He was just about to press the buzzer to summon the official photographer when someone among us raised the issue of AFSPA. His face grew pale. He took his finger off the buzzer, probably feeling apperenhensive that the photo could be seen as presidential endorsement of our anti-AFSPA petition. He is a quick thinker. Didn't I tell you he is a rocket scientist?

So there was no photo session, instead we had a verbal marathon session. We gave him a primer on the AFSPA and the enormous powers that it gave to the armed forces to torture the innocent people of Manipur. It's no use revisiting this issue since we, as the suffering Manipuris, know from first hand expereince how draconian this ACT is. Suffice to say that we have briefed the president sufficiently - especially the controversial extra-judicial provision - enough to elicit his surprised reaction.

"I don't think the Act contains such a mindless provision," the president said, his ignorance of the Act split wide open. We respectfully but firmly challenge him on this.

But one area on which our opinions converged was the dismantling of military camps from the Manipur University Campus. The first time I heard about it, my blood boiled. Nowhere in the world has a university campus been converted into a firing range.

Even civil police personnels should be barred from entering the hallowed premises of the educational institutions. What we see in Manipur is just the opposite of this civilized convention, which proves a suspicion that ours is a military state pretending to be a democratic one.

Forget the military state for a while, if you will, but what about the psycholgical effects on the students. Clearly the presence of the armed forces in the campus has created fear psychosis among the students. Students learn best in atmosphere of peace and freedom. When blackboards and firing targets come together, education can be an act of terror. And it is.

So what is the president of India going to do? "I am going to probe into this immediately." No doubt, APJ Kalam was as shocked at such blatant rape of academic ambience on the floor of a University.

Hopefully some action will follow at His Excellency's intervention. Already, the president has recognised Sajibu Cheiraoba as a national ocassion worth giving his greetings. It is a little gesture but symbolic of the fact how engaing Indian leaders helped our cause more than mere grumbling in the dark.

So what we need now is a meaningful dialoque with the Indian leaders so that they know our issues, take appropriate actions and appreciate our culture and history. The home ministry report can never susbtitute a hearty confabulations with the central decision makers over a cup of tea in the garden.