Frustration is mounting all over Manipur; educated unemployed forced to eke a living by pulling rickshaws; powers that be turned insensitive and ultras and oltras hijacked the State.

FRUSTRATION is mounting amongst the Manipuri youth. There are no jobs around. They are willing and ready to do any odd job. But the word ‘job’ doesn’t find a mention in the official lexicon.

Manipur Government has clamped a ban on recruitment. Reason: dire financial straits. It has not been paying wages to its employees for months regularly. Qasi- government organisations have also stopped recruitment. Result: swelling of the unemployed ranks to five hundred thousand. It is a big number for a small State with a population of hardly 2.3 million.

There is a ‘price’ tag for all jobs. For a peon’s post, it is Rs.1, 50,000. Who will work after ‘buying’ the job? Senior officers say they find it rather difficult to inculcate discipline among the low-rung employees. "They (the lower ranks) do not care to attend office most of the time. When chided, they merely say that they are coming to collect the interest for the money they had paid as the bribe".

Experience shows that there is a ‘competition’ at the ministerial level to create new posts. Job interviews are sham, stage-managed shows for legal requirement. The actual selection takes place off stage. And that is a deal.

No surprise therefore, government employees swelled to 100 thousand mark.

But where is the money with the exchequer to feed this battalion? The State Government has meagre resources. Its tax base is very narrow. Only loans from the Centre can bail the government out from the salary jam.

Claiming its pound of flesh, the Centre made the State to sign on the dotted line – a memorandum of understanding that the State will freeze the recruitment. But, to its chagrin, the agreement was honoured more in breach than in implementation. Ignoring the commitment, the State political executive went ahead with fresh appointment through devious means. Instead of a regular job, the new assignments are called casual, master roll, work charge, in charge, look after employees. Who cares for the designation when the pay-cheque is all what matters?

The Centre has asked Manipur to stop all ‘new’ appointments as well.

PGs, doctors pulling rickshaws…?

Unbelievable but true. It is as much a sad commentary on the state of affairs as on the lows of desperation in Imphal. With well earned degrees in their pocket, graduates, postgraduates and doctors are pulling rickshaws to eke out a living..

The moment one steps out of the house / guest house, one is greeted by a swarm of rickshaw pullers. Their faces are partly covered – for protection from the cold winds and to hide the face from the known and unknown alike.

Says L Subash Sharma, Vice-President, All Manipur’s Rickshaw Drivers’ and Pullers’ Welfare Association: "Most rickshaw pullers in Manipur are highly qualified. Poverty has forced them to take rickshaws. Ashamed, yes, but what can they do? We are helpless. Some of us even left police service to become rickshaw pullers. Do you know why? We stand to earn more, that too honourably".

Sharma believes the downsizing policy of the Government has resulted in, the job market shrinking drastically over the years. "People find this (Rickshaw) the only option to earn a quick buck apart from their routine office jobs," he adds. Most of them earn between Rs 3000 and Rs 4000 a month.

"Some rickshaw pullers earn Rs 80 to Rs 150 a day. That is quite an amount considering the paltry salary they receive from their offices. Some manage to earn a bit more," he says.

Kya Kidnap Hai…!

Law and order scene in Manipur is deteriorating by the day. Abductions have become the order, not an exception. The State’s law makers from the treasury benches and the opposition benches grappled with the issue but they are no wiser at the end of the discussion. The kidnapping spree began in the first week of December. It is still continuing. The first victim was Victor Keishing, the eldest son of Rishang Keishing, a former chief minister and Rajya Sabha member. Kuki Liberation Army (KLA) picked him up one fine day without any advance notice. A ‘celebrated’ kidnap case was the abduction of German, Heinrich Wolfgang in March. He remained in KLA captivity for 18 days and captivated every one’s attention.

A BSNL official, a Deputy General Manager Lunkim, was ‘whisked away’ in the second week of March. A visiting APEDA general manager, deputy director of the state Industries department and another official were ‘taken away’ on April 23 from Thoubal district. People’s United Liberation Front, a Muslim armed organisation, has claimed ‘credit’.

Expressing serious concern over these abduction cases, ruling Secular Progressive Front (SPF) MLAs have asked the Chief Minister, Okram Ibobi Singh, to step up vigil all over the state. They met at the CM’s residence.

Members of Opposition Democratic People’s Alliance (DPA) also held a meeting at the residence of the former Chief Minister R. K. Dorendro Singh. They came down heavily on the ‘mismanagement’ of police.

As both the ruling and Opposition members expressed their displeasure over the functioning of the state machinery, a major reshuffle of the senior IAS and IPS officers of the State was also effected right from the level of the chief secretary to that of the commandants of State forces. Additional charges of different departments were similarly re-allocated

PSUs on death row

The Manipur Government has signed the death warrant of eight public sector units (PSUs). The Government has ceased to invest any money as these undertakings had ceased to produce any thing. And have become a drag. So, it is requiem for hundreds of thousands of rupees the Government sanctioned from time to under political pressure or when the employees launched agitations demanding payment of salaries.

Union Finance Ministry has sanctioned Rs 17 crore for the final settlement of all dues of the employees.

Take the case of Manipur Spinning Mills Corporation Limited. It was set up as Manipur is the land of weavers. Most of the houses have shuttle looms and loin looms. But the PSU failed to tick and became a victim of sabotage from within and by section of business community. Result it had stopped producing a single bundle of yarn.

The Manipur Food Industries Corporation Ltd, the Manipur Pulp and Allied Products Corporation Ltd are almost defunct. Ukhrul district has the potential to produce cement and as such the Hundujng Cement Factory was established. Corruption and mismanagement were such that the cost of production had spiralled. It could not simply compete with other factories in the country.

Bicycle is very popular among the Manipuris. Besides there is a heavy demand of the Indian bicycles in Burma. In order to cater to the increasing demands, the Manipur Bicycle Assembly Corporation Ltd was established. However, people have not seen a single assembled bicycle in the Imphal streets simply because shops selling all kinds of bicycles are seen at every nook and corner and they are much cheaper.

Bamboo groves are found in abundance at Jiribam, bordering Cachar district of Assam. So the Bamboo Chipping Plant Corporation Ltd was set up. But the Government had not foreseen the large-scale smuggling of bamboo towards Assam through the Barak river. Besides private units had mushroomed here and there with the result that this public units failed to produce anything.. Vanaspati, drugs and pharmaceutical unit was also set up with high hopes. But it could not produce a single product. No tears will be shed when all these ailing PSUs are closed down.

Some more PSUs which have failed to deliver the goods are on the verge of closing down. Manipur State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) tops the list. In the past it used to service the entire State and the national highways. But private transporters had gained an upper hand for over 15 years. So, MSRTC died a natural death. Its employees have not been paid wages for years. Its buses are rusting. Tinkering did not lead to cosmetic changes in its health.

The only PSU working by and large well is the railway reservation centre. It is also a victim of misappropriation of over Rs. 70 lakhs. Unless things improve, the centre will be closed, the NF Railway has threatened.

Kuki militants lord NH 39

Who is the master of the highways in the Kuki dominated areas? This is not a question that makes eyebrows to rise. All the same it is a question no body would like to address, much less search for answers.

The Imphal establishment and the Imphal Raj Bhavan know the reality. Well, they have to. That much effective are their sleuths. Of course, for some thing that is happening in broad daylight and under neon lights, there is no need for a sitrup.

Consider this scenario. It is not a chapter from a fiction book. It is from the diary of an eyewitness. "KNF militants barged into a petrol pump in the heart of Imphal. Demanded the tax payment. Owner rebuffed. They left after inflicting a punishing damage. Just an hour later came the decree: No Oil tanker should deliver POL to the pump till he pays up".

Pay or shut up is the message the Kuki militants have put out. Not only for petrol pump owners but also to all – who they consider as potential paymasters.

Truck drivers are the easy prey. The National Highway 39 has become their nightmare. KNF wants the truck owners to cough up the ‘tax arrears’. For the ‘maliks’ failure, the driver pays the price. Is there any arbitrariness? No body knows. The victims don’t speak. The perpetrators don’t tell.

The kidnapping of Heinrich Wolfgang by Kuki Liberation Army marked near Maphou Dam on March 23 was the first outward manifestation of a new wave of terror, every one had been talking about for a while, according to the ‘sitrup’ writers. The German was in ‘captivity for over 18 days. He became free on April 9.

Only public outcry and pressure from outside led to his freedom. The Government duly elected by the people remained a mute spectator even as Heinrich wife and friends went about knocking each and every door for help.

Police records show a quick jump in the kidnapping of truck drivers. Late April evening, KNF cadres signalled a truck to halt at Kangpokpi on National Highway. The driver panicked. He pressed the accelerator. As the vehicle failed to stop, the militants opened fire. It was a merciless, indiscriminate firing. The driver and his companion, a cleaner, were injured. And the vehicle came to a halt.

In another incident the militants kidnapped two drivers and detained them. How long? It is not clear. What the grapevine says is the owner paid the ‘levy’ and the drivers returned to join their families. How they paid the taxes is not clear either. One version is the payment was made to ‘the agents’ of the KNF.

Eight more drivers were soon taken ‘hostage’. Their detention lasted a little longer. One of the ‘hostages’ fell sick during detention. He was released on ‘compassionate’ grounds. Freedom for the rest came after the Kuki taxes were paid. The third reported incident featured five drivers. For them too, ‘no due certificate’ only got the freedom.

There is an element of dare devilry in the kidnappings, going by the accounts of the ‘released’ drivers. "We were intercepted and whisked away in front of the security forces. None of the security personnel cared to intervene", one of them told reporters.

National Highway is one of the most intensely patrolled roads as it is the life-line of the Manipuris. Why the ‘Forces" remained spectators? There are no convincing answers, not as yet any how.  Obviously, it has something to do with the traditional charter of the SFs.

Says a senior officer of a para military force on security duty in Manipur, "Kidnapping is a criminal offence. It is for the state police to tackle such crime". The state police is content with "recovery" of the trucks left behind by the drivers who are whisked away.

Okram Ibobi, Chief Minister, says he is helpless to do anything. "I know the problem. We need to deploy more police, more security forces all along the NH. I cannot do much. We don’t have that many personnel". Doesn’t he know about the extortion rackets? He knows. Because he told the assembly only a few days ago, ‘a Nagaland based outfit is making a cool three crore (rupees) every month from our vehicles’.

Remarks a local journalist, "Shortage of force is a convenient excuse. Real problem is the utter lack of political will to come down with an iron hand". Some months ago, Manipur Rifles were sent to do duty on the NH. Mingle with the travellers and ensure their protection, they were told.

What happened brings has put egg on the state government’s face. Kuki militants accosted them in the Pallel Moreh, injured them with sledgehammers and left with their service guns. At Saprameina (Senapati district), the Kuki militants killed some Manipur Rifles personnel and decamped with their weapons.

Centre worried

The Centre is worried, going by the reports from Delhi and the quizzing the state chief secretary A. P. Sharma was subjected to by the Home Ministry. Almost on a daily basis. What set the alarm bells ringing was not Heinrich Wolfgang kidnap alone but the abduction of Pravin Gupta, General Manager of Agriculture Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) of India.

Along with Gupta, the state commerce department deputy Director Joy Kumar and driver Nishikanta were carried away by PULF. The three managed to escape on May 5. Under pressure from the Centre, the chief secretary Sharma and the police chief Bimal Chandra started work on a blue print to tackle the menace of kidnapping for ransom.

Ultras threat to bandhwalas

Finally there is good news. Believe it or not, a Manipuri Ultra group has come against ‘bandhs’. The victims of the diktat, hold your breathe, are teachers and school employees. Kanglei Yawol Kann Lup (KYKL) has issued the decree. Obviously, it is irked by the ‘bandh culture that has become a part of Manipuri culture. Publicity ‘Deputy Secretary’ Apabi Mangang has ‘notified’ the ban on strikes and bandhs. The immediate provocation was call for a strike by the teachers and other employees of the education department. KYKL has launched ‘operation new Kangleipak’ (old name of Manipur) to cleanse the education department, Mangang said in a statement here. He said KYKL would attempt to root out bandhs and general strikes from the soil of Manipur and added that as per the opinion of the people assessed by the underground group, more than 80 per cent of them were opposed to calling bandhs and general strikes in the State.

Mangang claimed most of the editors and journalists had informed the KYKL about their opposition to the bandhs and strikes. He appealed to different social organisations and other bodies to adopt another way to protest instead of calling bandhs and general strikes. Mangang also thanked underground Kuki National Army for supporting KYKL’s ban on bandhs and general strikes. 

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