As I hear about the chief minister of Manipur finally resigning, a sad picture comes to
my mind, of a thin fellow leading a woman who is scantily clad, along the road
somewhere in Manipur.

We hear that he finally raped and killed her.

A skinny fellow, as thin as a toothpick!

Now look behind the Toothpick; you'll see four others with bigger builds, more muscular
Tarzan types. They stand leering while Toothpick leads the poor girl on and assaults
her.

Here's what I want you to do: take an eraser, slowly cut them off, erase them - remove
them from the scene.

Now watch as, in your imagination, Toothpick looks back and notices the four aren't
there anymore. Toothpick's expression changes, uncertainty replaces confidence, fear
takes over courage, suddenly he's aware of his own skinny arms, and Toothpick leaves
the girl and runs!

Toothpick's strength, brazenness, bullying nature, came from the knowledge that those
four toughies stood behind him! And the sneer of those four, their intimidating tactics,
their ruffian roughness came from the next ring behind, of the likes of higher-ups who
continued to rule the state and refused to do much for the people, even though the
whole country wanted the violence to stop.

But from the chief minister to the top, they stood behind Toothpick!

Quite a daunting group, huh?

Yes, dear reader, but in real life, you cannot use an eraser or a pair of scissors to
remove the real villains.

If only it were as simple as clipping away the shadows of power, the hidden forces that
make a mockery of leadership. Imagine if we could erase all the thick-built bureaucrats,
the power-hungry officers, the invisible hands pulling strings from behind the scenes.
Would the Toothpicks of this world lose their spine, crumble under their own fragility,
and finally stop terrorising the innocent?

The sad truth is our eraser remains ineffective. These shadows are not just figments of
our imagination; they are all too real, pervasive, and deeply entrenched. They lurk in the
corners of every system, taking root in the soil of corruption. You cannot erase them
with a swipe, no matter how hard you try. The chief minister's resignation, though a
temporary relief, is only the tip of the iceberg.

The real battle is deeper, more systemic, and can't be undone by simple political
resignation.

Until they are eradicated from the roots, Manipur, and every state like it, will continue to
stagger under the weight of polarisation and division.

No, dear reader, you cannot use a pair of scissors to erase this reality that stares us in
the face. But you can sharpen your awareness, speak your truth, and demand
accountability from those who are behind these scenes.

Use the court, or use the vote, and see the Toothpicks flee..!