Eight (8) Hours of Electricity in a Day: A Cruel Joke on the people of Manipur or IS It?

By: Bimol Akoijam

In response to a Public Interests Litigation (PIL), the Government of Manipur has reportedly promised that it is working towards ensuring “Eight Hours”, YES!!!! 8 HOURS of electricity out of 24 HOURS A DAY by the beginning of 2012!!!! That’s Manipur in 21st Century!!!!

This is after almost a decade of 4 to 5 hours of erratic electricity supply in a day in the state of Manipur!!!!

Reason: People don’t pay bills!!!!? That’s what the adminstration wants us to beleive.

But, will any law enforcing agency or institution anywhere in the world ever say, crimes have increased precisely because the “criminals” have not stopped committing “crimes”?

What is the meaning of administration or governance? What is the meaning of institutional mechanism that governs our life?

Do you think, people are morons that they will accept such explanations?

If electricity (as a part of the concerns over the issue of “energy” all over world), one can think of a productive (economic or otherwise) life or development without electricity?

From the automobile workshop to the photo-copy machines (small time entrepreneurs), saw mills to rice mills, from heavy to medium size industrial units, construction work to banking, from internet communication to other electronic transactions, media houses to transport houses…can there be a productive functioning without electricity?

With 4 to 5 hours of electricity a day, how do we talk of “development” meaningfully? That too, “development” as an answer to insurgency, how do we talk of that all these years?

If one doesn’t understand these issues, at least does one sense the effect of electricity on one’s day-to-day life?

Then how do we make sense of almost a decade of its (electricity) absence in our life in the state of Manipur?

8 hours of electricity in the second year of the second decade of 21st century!!!!?

Does it surprise anyone as to why Manipur is in such a state of affairs in almost all walks of life for a long time now?

All these darkness, not for a week or months or year but almost a decade!!!!?

If the people are clueless about what’s going on, irrespective one’s claim on being “practical” or knowledge of “ground reality”, it’s because metaphorically or otherwise, it’s a world of the dark age with its grotesque mindset!!!

Is there any state capital city in this country that runs on 4 to 5 hours of electricity or 8 hours of electricity a day for almost a decade?

Or Is it that most of the people will continue to remian silent as bystanders on issues that affect them so crucially? Or will they organize themselves against a critical deprivation?

One hopes that, for heaven’s sake, they will do the right thing to make a difference in their life. Didn’t some talk of internet and Facebook making an effect on public issues in Egypt? or Is it another loose or hollow talks for them?

The people of Manipur must answer these questions!!!!