u/tutya_th

Image courtesy of Robinson Wahengbam

Bandh today by civil societies on this matter. I really hope this doesn't turn out like the ILP movement where the leaders heading that movement compromised for a toothless ILP for a party ticket & monetary gain. What was needed actually is a powerful system to check and enforce this work permit to safeguard our indigenous population and a functioning work force from outside State that can work with proper checks & balances. This is not to say that ILP is not being enforced but that it's not functioning as it needs to be. How many of those that overstay are being penalized or tracked?

The Government knows that civil society can be bought and threatened. A bandh for two days with a submission of memorandum to the Governor or Chief Minister and it's done. Life gets back to normal but the damage to our demography cannot be reversed. The illegals will be legitamised after the census. As case studies of border States are plentiful in places like US-Mexico, Vietnam-China, Columbia-Peru-Bolivia, Myanmar-Laos-Thailand, West Africa, Western Balkan, Netherlands-Belgium & our very own, India-Myanmar through Manipur, Mizoram & Nagaland.

As a Manipuri, are there actually no leaders amongst us that actually care enough to fight the system for our future? I mean, it's obvious to us how the NRC is desperately needed but there seems to be a lack of will of politicians & civil society leaders to make the Indian Government implement the NRC.

Or does the fault lie in our youth and the lack of social media presence for this need? Silence now for comfort or is it the fear of threat from BJYM and related parties? We are at a crucial stage where our actions are needed, maybe not on the streets but atleast to be in the algorithms of social media so that the Government takes notice.

People in Manipur are awfully quiet about this protest. There would have been a lot of politics at play, if this was tried in Manipur. Most of us cannot be in Delhi but we can actually make an effort to support this on social media. Remember, our people in lakhs, welcomed Modi in Imphal. I mean, how lost is our people, to actually sell themselves for Rs 500.

Let's not forget Bewesh, a man from Sikkim for carrying our posters on his shoulders, with him on another's shoulder, during the protest for education. He's the one putting our dire situation on a spotlight. Even when Govindas announces that it's all okay in Manipur.

It can't possibly be. We are living in the 21st century.

https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/manipur-blockade-of-nh2-over-killing-of-6-naga-civilians-nears-a-month-2939486-2026-07-03

https://youtu.be/10lnlxmHv40?si=w9eG6EZEVMvl3dEb

This act, no matter the reason is turning criminal. There's a difference between demanding justice and shooting everyone in sight. The Government, indiscriminately should clear the Highway, no matter the cost to bring peace, on the negotiation table, if that fails then through brute force, to bring back a sense of normality.