Has Manipur become a safe haven for drug smugglers?

by Sanatombi

Friday , March 15, 2013 at 11 : 59

Besides the news and woes of armed conflicts, insurgencies, blockades and bandhs, we have one more infamous reason to be sedated with. Last month's drug scam in the state opens many deliberations which, if openly discussed, can possibly trigger our narcotised senses.

We need to ask how it has been going on unabated for all these years. What has been the narcotics department, which we know exists, doing all these years? Are they on morphine or heroin too, so high and numb to do anything?

Let us listen to the stories. From our childhood days, we have been hearing about Moreh, not only for the international candle, torchlight and numitlei, but also for being an international drug route and a haven for drug peddlers.

The two recent and controversial drug hauls...Read more...

Rowdy Sandrembee: The salaried beggars of modern Manipur

by Sanatombi

Friday , November 09, 2012 at 13 : 13

When power is misused, chaos becomes the norm of a society. In our society, sad but true, power is misused in each and every sector. It is too common to come across many incidents that testify to this bitter truth in Manipur. The oppressors enjoy oppressing the oppressed; and those who are luckily out of the league of the oppressed, enjoy the show as mute spectators.

For long we have stopped questioning ourselves, implying our society is getting defunct. Our logic has ceased to work. Isn't it bitterer than power being misused?

Among the oppressing lots, those who are supposed to protect us from lawbreakers are the scariest ones. I am, of course, referring to the security personnel a.k.a as the 'Salaried beggars of modern Manipur', because many a time they are on the other side...Read more...

Bombs, bullets and bulletins

by Sanatombi

Thursday , September 13, 2012 at 11 : 00

In modern Manipur, the price of petrol or cooking gas would be unaffordable for many individuals. But when it comes to bombs, bullets, bandhs and bulletins, you would not be surprised to see that it's all free of cost, be it bandh or blockade or bullet. It is no more a shocking incident to discover that a bomb was hurled at your neighbour's home; it's no more a matter of concern to find out that someone got shot by a cheap bullet. And for all this fiasco, there are bulletins ready to awaken the people out of their slumber but equally unimportant and redundant to let them sleep for another couple of hours. Applaud us as brave hearts. Brave, yes, we are. But we would never admit the very fact that this bravery is a result of compulsive traumatic disorder that we have often come across.

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Rowdy Sandrembee: We the people (with no country)

by Sanatombi

Tuesday , August 21, 2012 at 15 : 31

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The exodus of students and professionals from the North-East from various Indian cities has thrown up many unanswered questions. It has made us doubt ourselves, quite uncomfortably, of our own nationality. It has made us wonder if the country has never been ours in the true sense of the word. Had it been, we would not have been scared or rushing for home now the situation is like we have to show our passports for proofs of our citizenship, not anywhere else but in our own country. This is not the first time.

I personally feel extremely sorry for all those students and professionals, especially in Bangalore, who have to go through such trying times. I equally feel sorry for the Indian system that cannot bring any solution to such brouhaha. The nation seems to have been engulfed by chaos...Read more...