We have come across innumerable cases of crime against women all these years. But we hardly come across reports about crime against men. The recent Tentha case should be an eye opener for all of us. Over the years, cases of ‘mou maangkhre’ and ‘mou halaktare’ have been filling all the ad pages in Manipuri newspapers. It would not be fallacious to say that adultery is now a two-way affair. Earlier, it was the men folk who used to enjoy the privilege of adultery but it is no more the same in Matamgi Manipur.
In Matamgi Manipur, women are now more daring to come out of their cocoon. They are no more the same old ‘theibong manungi tin’ with the frog-in-the-well mentality. They are educated and technologically updated too. So, they decide what is right and wrong for them. Today many women have become decision makers, educators and activists in various fields. Thanks to the changing waves of time, our women folk also have many platforms to raise their voice about any ill doing or treatment meted towards them. Of course, these are paradoxical if we compare these with the Tentha case.
Anybody can also say that there is a rising number of domestic problems with the liberal mindset and lifestyle of modern women folk. Though not for all, marriages are no more considered sacred. The beautiful vows of marriage are lost into scorn and mutual hatred between men and wives. Ending a marriage is within the flick of a finger. And quite shamefully, the cases of missing housewives have been increasing like esing echao in our society.
The Tentha case sets one of the classic examples of mou maangkhre or should it be ‘maanghankhre’ incident. The case should not be treated lightly. The poor guy was not only ostracized, but he was also mentally, physically and emotionally robbed and tormented when the mob destroyed his home — the same home where he spent good and bad times with his family. The wife in question should have been more honest. If she wanted to end the marriage, she could try a direct or indirect way to do so. To connive against the poor man with such malice is not an acceptable act in a civilized society.
What perturbs me more is the death of the 19-year-old girl whose body was cremated in place of the missing wife.
Who was she? Was she an orphan? Which is why no one ever claimed or claims her body till date? Or was she another victim of a heinous crime that goes unabated in our state? Why did not the villagers report any missing case about her so far? Or was her body dropped from soraren at an opportune time when the villainous wife wanted to frame the innocent husband to fake her own murder? It sounds quite filmy with a flimsy plot! The mob could not wait to form a JAC to dismantle the house of the innocent husband. Why did not they ever think about confirming the identity of the lifeless body before resorting to any unwanted action? Or is it just another innuendo about our ‘society’s thainadagi heinaraklabi nature’ of not looking before we leap? Whatsoever, we must never forget the uncomfortable truth that the girl was cremated with a wrong identity and it should always disturb our sanity that we are still not trying anything to confirm the identity of the girl. In a land like ours where ‘asibana maangjare’ sets the norm, I think it is a double crime to be dead without hanging an identity card on our neck. Is it time for all of us to start hanging our identity cards on our necks so that we may at least be cremated or buried with a correct identity? Those who are into I card printing business can start venturing out for this lucrative opportunity. Since it is going to be a big project, many groups can now sort out how many percentages they want from this project.
It is also time for our police personnel to start playing the real ‘police–police game’ to maintain proper law and order in the state. As seen in Hindi movies, the police always arrive when the fight is over or when the hero is about to kill the villain. A seemingly good-natured police officer would rush in with a pistol in his hand and a dialogue on his lips, ‘Kaanoon ko apney haath pey mutt loh,’ and then he would catch the villain. The film always ends with the union of the hero and heroine or either the hero with his long lost mother. But that sounds fun only in movies. Real life crimes cannot be tackled in a filmy way.
It is also time we create awareness among the masses about the ill effects of mob justice. The use of the word justice is not justifiable. How can a wrong act be termed as justice? I think it should be termed as a kok leikhatpa syndrome of a mathong maram khangdaba group of people. Whatsoever, this barbaric practice should come to a tragic end as soon as it can. If there is any crime reported in any leikai, the leikai clubs and ‘thajaba yaaba’ civil societies should intervene and put the matter on hold till the intervention of police personnel or the concerned authority. By and by, mob justice should finally rest in peace now.
This article was published on 26 April 2015
In Matamgi Manipur, women are now more daring to come out of their cocoon. They are no more the same old ‘theibong manungi tin’ with the frog-in-the-well mentality. They are educated and technologically updated too. So, they decide what is right and wrong for them. Today many women have become decision makers, educators and activists in various fields. Thanks to the changing waves of time, our women folk also have many platforms to raise their voice about any ill doing or treatment meted towards them. Of course, these are paradoxical if we compare these with the Tentha case.
Anybody can also say that there is a rising number of domestic problems with the liberal mindset and lifestyle of modern women folk. Though not for all, marriages are no more considered sacred. The beautiful vows of marriage are lost into scorn and mutual hatred between men and wives. Ending a marriage is within the flick of a finger. And quite shamefully, the cases of missing housewives have been increasing like esing echao in our society.
The Tentha case sets one of the classic examples of mou maangkhre or should it be ‘maanghankhre’ incident. The case should not be treated lightly. The poor guy was not only ostracized, but he was also mentally, physically and emotionally robbed and tormented when the mob destroyed his home — the same home where he spent good and bad times with his family. The wife in question should have been more honest. If she wanted to end the marriage, she could try a direct or indirect way to do so. To connive against the poor man with such malice is not an acceptable act in a civilized society.
What perturbs me more is the death of the 19-year-old girl whose body was cremated in place of the missing wife.
Who was she? Was she an orphan? Which is why no one ever claimed or claims her body till date? Or was she another victim of a heinous crime that goes unabated in our state? Why did not the villagers report any missing case about her so far? Or was her body dropped from soraren at an opportune time when the villainous wife wanted to frame the innocent husband to fake her own murder? It sounds quite filmy with a flimsy plot! The mob could not wait to form a JAC to dismantle the house of the innocent husband. Why did not they ever think about confirming the identity of the lifeless body before resorting to any unwanted action? Or is it just another innuendo about our ‘society’s thainadagi heinaraklabi nature’ of not looking before we leap? Whatsoever, we must never forget the uncomfortable truth that the girl was cremated with a wrong identity and it should always disturb our sanity that we are still not trying anything to confirm the identity of the girl. In a land like ours where ‘asibana maangjare’ sets the norm, I think it is a double crime to be dead without hanging an identity card on our neck. Is it time for all of us to start hanging our identity cards on our necks so that we may at least be cremated or buried with a correct identity? Those who are into I card printing business can start venturing out for this lucrative opportunity. Since it is going to be a big project, many groups can now sort out how many percentages they want from this project.
It is also time for our police personnel to start playing the real ‘police–police game’ to maintain proper law and order in the state. As seen in Hindi movies, the police always arrive when the fight is over or when the hero is about to kill the villain. A seemingly good-natured police officer would rush in with a pistol in his hand and a dialogue on his lips, ‘Kaanoon ko apney haath pey mutt loh,’ and then he would catch the villain. The film always ends with the union of the hero and heroine or either the hero with his long lost mother. But that sounds fun only in movies. Real life crimes cannot be tackled in a filmy way.
It is also time we create awareness among the masses about the ill effects of mob justice. The use of the word justice is not justifiable. How can a wrong act be termed as justice? I think it should be termed as a kok leikhatpa syndrome of a mathong maram khangdaba group of people. Whatsoever, this barbaric practice should come to a tragic end as soon as it can. If there is any crime reported in any leikai, the leikai clubs and ‘thajaba yaaba’ civil societies should intervene and put the matter on hold till the intervention of police personnel or the concerned authority. By and by, mob justice should finally rest in peace now.
This article was published on 26 April 2015
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