Two interesting events caught the general public’s fancy in the past few days. The first is the great escape of one Totomshana from the clutches of some personnel in khaki uniform and the second is the warning issued by a so-called joint committee of Heingang Kendra against individuals and organisations not to discuss the personal life N Biren Singh or drag in the name of the constituency while discussing him and his actions in public platforms.
Well, Totomshana Nongshaba who contested the recent Lok Sabha election as an independent candidate turned out to be quite a colourful personality who seldom mince words while criticising the state government particularly the incumbent Chief Minister N Biren. Somehow, he went too far in his rants even to the extent of a threat to the Chief Minister’s life which resulted in police taking up an FIR against him. The police attempt to arrest him failed as Heirok locals prevented them.
Heirok is no ordinary village and it is specially known for its fierce loyalty to each other and defiance to any authority besides their complete distaste for anyone who tries to enforce its will or dictates on them. The very idea of raising the infamous Village Defence Force (VDF) was originally conceived after the May 2008 incident in Heirok under Thoubal District in which villagers stood up against the atrocities of a particular militant group, leading to the appointment of Special Police Officers (SPOs) to guard the village.
In 2008 March 24, some militants had indiscriminately opened fire at a Thabal chongba occasion at Heirok, in which some villagers were fatally injured while a girl lost her eyesight. The whole village rose up in unison and prohibited any member of armed militant groups from entering the village. Villagers particularly the youth asked the government to provide arms to protect themselves from the insurgents.
Everyone including the state police knows the Heirok story. But, one failed to understand how they misread the signs and went about that misadventure. In failing to arrest Totomsana, the state police were reduced to a joke while the once non-descript wannabe politician became an instant celebrity in the social media. He is a person who throws his hat in the election ring, be it in the assembly and parliamentary elections, although no one took him seriously. He was a candidate in the last assembly elections also, which former minister Th Radheshyam won again. However, after the failed attempt to arrest him during the parliamentary elections, YouTubers and self-styled journalists rushed to interview him and his rants became popular.
Yet again, when some armed personnel in khaki uniform ‘abducted’ him in broad daylight recently in front of the Imphal Tulihal Airport and his subsequent ‘daring’ escape at Keishampat junction landed him in public eye once again. This time, the alleged police personnel were caught in the backfoot as the Child Rights Commission slapped a case citing harassment of Totomshana’s children in the abduction or arrest. Well, about the other episode supporters of Chief Minister N Biren Singh in Heingang constituency have every right to express their hurt feelings as criticism of their representative from amongst the general public keep piling up in view of the raging crisis which refuses to go away. But, their open threat against some individuals for such criticism is in bad taste. Biren Singh is not Heingang constituency’s alone, he is the Chief Minister of the state and he is quite capable of taking criticism in his stride.
Everyone sympathises with the distressing turn of events. It is just their luck that their representative happen to be the chief minister at such a crucial timing when this crisis have had to happen, his powers stripped away and helpless, his detractors chipping away at his once formidable position, and his mentor in New Delhi not heeding his pleas. It is just their luck.
(The views expressed are peronal)
