Every year on May 3, the whole world celebrates Press Freedom Day. The day is commemorated to highlight the significance of press freedom globally and to recognize the challenges encountered by journalists. The day also pays tribute to all the journalists who have lost their lives. Thus, this day is fittingly apt for paying tributes to such a devastating tragedy which unfolded in Manipur on 3rd May 2023. 
With profound sorrow, we offer our respects to the countless innocent lives that endured unfathomable violence and continue to endure, yearning for even a faint glimpse of peace’s return.
As the curtains rise on the tragicomic theater of Manipur’s plight, one cannot help but marvel at the Modi Government’s stunning performance of indifference and neglect.
Picture this: exactly a year ago, on May 3, 2023, the stage was set for a spectacle of chaos and despair, as the flames of conflict engulfed the state, leaving in their wake a trail of devastation and despair.
In this theatrical production of governance, PM Modi plays the role of the elusive protagonist, a figure shrouded in mystery and absence. Despite the mounting toll of 226 lives lost, 1,500 injured, and 60,000 displaced, Modi remains eerily silent, his reluctance to set foot in the troubled region reminiscent of a lead actor avoiding a particularly challenging scene.
Meanwhile, the supporting cast, led by the BJP-led state government, delivers a performance of staggering ineptitude. With their divide-and-conquer tactics, they effectively split Manipur into two halves, creating a social and demographic divide worthy of Shakespearean tragedy. The irony is palpable as they continue to tout their commitment to development while the state crumbles under their watchful gaze.
But it is the treatment of women that truly highlights the cruelty of this production. In a scene straight out of a horror movie, a video emerges of two Kuki women being paraded naked by a mob, their dignity stripped away in a grotesque display of barbarism. One survivor recounted the harrowing assault near her village, B Phainom, a chilling reminder of the depths to which humanity can sink in the face of unchecked violence.
Amidst this chaos, the Modi Government’s response is nothing short of theater of the absurd. Lip service is paid, and promises are made, but the action remains as elusive as the elusive protagonist himself. The hollow echoes of empty rhetoric reverberate through the halls of power, drowning out the cries of the displaced and disenfranchised.
As the plot thickens, the audience is left grappling with a sense of despair as governance crumbles like a poorly constructed set. Law and order become little more than a punchline, as security personnel find themselves outnumbered and outgunned in a battle they can never hope to win.
But amidst the darkness, there is a glimmer of hope. The resilience of the people of Manipur shines through, their spirit unbroken despite the hardships they face. As the spotlight fades on this tragic tale, we are left to ponder the lessons learned from this theatrical debacle.
In the end, it is the people of Manipur who bear the brunt of the government’s indifference and neglect. Their lives become nothing more than pawns in a political game, their suffering reduced to a mere footnote in the annals of history. And as the final curtain falls, we are left to wonder: will the Modi Government ever learn from its mistakes, or will Manipur remain trapped in this never-ending cycle of tragedy and despair?
