The obvious course of action for any government with public good intent should have been to come up with a white paper on the issue and establish beyond doubt, the boundaries of the various districts concerned and to issue instructions to the district authorities to restrict their jurisdictions accordingly. This government has chosen to remain silent. The so-called representatives of the people (MLAs) of concerned districts also have strangely remained mute on the issue.
When the common people, out of sheer desperation, organised themselves into a COPTAM and protested on the issue, the dominant community hooligans were allowed to threaten and manhandle the protestors who were merely demanding the state government to respect the district boundaries and that the government take remedial steps to check the overlapping exercise of authority by valley district administrations on some of the affected tribal villages. The hooligans took the liberty even to abuse a reporter of this paper using the derogatory 'Hao' even after he displayed his press identity before them. He was slapped and threatened to leave the place to save his dear life. He was told that 'Hao macha pao louba jaroii' meaning a tribal reporter cannot be allowed to report on this. The mob tried to snatch his camera. The kind of attempt made to gag the press by the hooligans is an insult on the freedom of the press and that slap on Gosem reporter was a slap on the face of the Press.
While showing inefficiency and negligence of responsibility on issues such as this, which are critical to peace and harmony within the state, the government has decided to take over the building and maintenance of important roadways from the Border Roads Organization which is a reputed agency with proven efficiency. The PWD of the state, which is meant to take on the job from the BRO, and its efficiency can be guessed by anyone who has driven around within Manipur. The only probable reason behind such a move by the state government could be the money behind building and maintaining of roads, and the inability of the ministers and his cohorts to cut into the pie if the BRO continue to handle these roads.
It remains to be seen how the government handles the issue of overlapping census and the tribal ire over the over-extension of valley districts' jurisdiction on the matter henceforth. That the main opposition party in the state also chose to ignore, such indiscretions by valley district authorities, and the government's silence on the matter, is very disquieting for the tribal people.
The test of sincerity and trust-worthiness of the Ibobi government will be judged by the tribal people of the state, among other issues, on how his government settles this present issue of overlapping census, which has a direct bearing on the protection of tribal land guaranteed under the constitution of India
