Change of wind

Rebati Mohan Sinha

Dalai Lama

Dalai Lama once said, “Take care of your thoughts because they become words, take care of your words because they will become actions, take care of actions because they will become habits. Take care of habits because they will form your destiny and your destiny will be your life and there is no religion higher than the truth.” We can learn lot of things from it.

Let us take a quick review of sequence of events that had taken place, culminating to disintegration of the society. No matter what all these moves will take us to; but it will not be too far. Close on the heels of the reports appeared so far in newspapers and, if talks in the various meetings suggest, I see a day not far from now when people will have no faith in any leadership.

At the moment, society needs a leader who works most effectively. At the moment the challenge of a leadership is to be a strong, but not rude, be kind, but not weak, be bold but not bully, be thoughtful, but not lazy, be humble, but not timid, be proud, but not arrogant, have humor but without folly. The very essence of the leadership is to accomplish a task that is what leadership does and what it does is more important than what it is or how it works. As I have learnt, each person on a team is an extension of your leadership, if they feel empowered by you; they will definitely magnify your power to lead.

One should not rest on one`s past laurels, on the contrary, ask himself “ What have I done so far, say during last three years?” one should always look forward not backward. And why should we, people rely on a simple booklet, carrying some body’s past laurels printed on it, supported by some, so-called, social workers? Our big task ahead would be to restore people’s faith in administration, we have to reaffirm our enduring spirit to carry forward that noble idea, “The God given promise that all are free.”

A difference between an ordinary politician and a great leader is that, the former has an extremely short-term vision and plays up to base emotion like hate, envy or greed. Great leader like Gandhiji acted differently. He has a long-term vision and appeals to noble emotions like love, kindness and self respect.

One could reminisce the first experience of Mahasabha election held in the year 2009 at Kailasahar, where 92 delegates voted against the present incumbent. Look at the election result. The causality was for the seating President who was all set to win unopposed. Present incumbent has been administering for last 13 years but presently his track record of having bitter relation with the comrades who opposed his way of functioning. He and his cronies have a lot to answer for. Time alone will tell us whether our delegates have grown out of their starry eyed, adolescent admiration for leader who they thought could lead the Bishnupriya Manipuri community into its future. In present incumbent, the community believed, it had found such a leader, but now it is evident from the fact that he could no longer devote much of his time, because of profession, and ill health. The oath taking ceremony, which was taken place at Silchar after a lapse of more than three months, is the testimony to this affect.

Why this sudden change? It is because today’s educated youngsters want development, economic growth in the society. They no longer believe that they are neglected. They are rather not impressed by mere implementation of Bishnupriya Manipuri language in our LP schools. What they want is a new pathway for the future that can accommodate their dreams and aspirations. So, they find other organizations like Sangram Parishad, NBMSU (Anil group) which is no longer relevant. They are more interested in people who work selflessly for the Bishnupriya Manipuri community, not for their own fame. They believe that tomorrow BM community will be enriched by people who can bring unity among people, not divide them. They are tired of Doladoli. They want hatred shunned, and consensus be back.