Opang Ao
Dimapur
Congratulations to dear readers for another twelve months of ‘Please Fire’. Reading about the Peace Talks between Govt and NSCN (IM) every year has been an interesting thing. It is like being in a long dark tunnel where one does not know when will the light be seen, and what is up next. Talks are meant for our future, but it is only we who don’t know what is cooking up!
Another interesting chapter has been the innovative terms being used. From sovereignity, autonomy, integration, unification, migration, federal relationship, uniqueness of history, unique relation, Constitution etc, nothing seems to have been left out in this crossword puzzle. Sometimes there are no referees, sometimes referees appear suddenly (with or without the linesmen), venues change more than the World Cup, possession changes frequently and suddenly before any one can realise, rules appear to be rather flexible and unwritten, spectators hardly seem to know the rules or understand the game or what they are cheering for and wonder why they paid heavily for the tickets, and spectators also seem to be terribly divided (since there are so many national teams) and some of them may even be paid to cheer. One of the teams has more foreign coaches than even the number of team members, and all players are veterans and have no place for young blood like me. What a waste of talent! Some players seem to be playing for personal glory rather than the larger good or team interests. The game has been dragging and we seem to be in extra time now. Penalty shoot-out next!
Then there are other teams that are also vying for a place in the final, don’t like this game in progress but are yet to play in the qualification rounds. And there are scores of teams that denounce the sport itself, some say so openly now, others may create riots when the results are out. Spectators like us will perhaps be the worst affected in any scenario.
The two teams have already reached finals twice earlier – the Cup for Longest Insurgency and the Cup for Longest Peace Talks ! Just hope the next time around when it is Cup time, we will be playing the game of our liking, rather than the one which is forced on us, and hope that all spectators and players will be on the same side of fence and donning the United Colours of Benetton.
The game has now become tiring and boring. Please be considerate, produce a spell of brilliance or at least make a mistake somewhere, and give us the result. Any thing will do. So, get on with the game with some seriousness. Also, please don’t raise our hopes too high for short term gains. I just hope self forced circumstances don’t lead to a head butting incident, a sudden fall from grace, and then involve us blokes in the cover up exercise.
In any case I am not aspiring for the Golden Boot. Have pity, release us from the prolonged agony and suffering before the next Cup comes calling, so that I can have My Cup of tea in peace and silence.
