Making a 'mockery' of ADCs : Anything but autonomous
- Sangai Express Editorial :: June 01, 2013 -

The Autonomous District Councils are anything but autonomous.

At least this is the message that has been conveyed since election was held to the six ADCs in 2010 after a gap of two decades.

There was drama too, interesting political drama, if one may add, with the Nagas calling for a boycott of the election against the 2008 Amendment under which the election was held. Three years down the line and the question is how much power has been devolved to the ADCs and how effectively have they been able to discharge their duties ?

Devolution of power and authority to the grass root level is the principle behind holding the election to the six ADCs of the State, but so far there is nothing much to suggest that any substantive progress has been made in this regard.

Till today, ADC members elected from the Naga dominated areas of Chandel, Senapati, Tamenglong and Ukhrul continue to discharge their duties from Imphal, for reasons that should be obvious to all.

The threat perception is clear. A failure of the Government or the fire power or striking power of those opposed to the election being too powerful and potent ?

Either way it does not speak well of the Government at all. People's representatives unable to visit their constituencies and get a first hand account of the reality at the grass root level is making a mockery of the concept of 'power at the grass root' level.

On the official side, there obviously must be a strong lobby against granting more power and authority to the ADCs for this would automatically mean clipping the wings of the officialdom, best exemplified by the bureaucracy.

Perhaps nothing explains this than the seeming tussle of power or authority between the elected ADC members of Ukhrul Autonomous District Council and the Chief Executive Officer, who is a Government official.

The three statements, which have appeared in the local dailies, (The Sangai Express published all three statements) are important indicators of the tussle for power and internal tug of war between the Government officialdom and the peoples' representatives elected in line with the noble concept and beliefs of power to the grass root level.

It was not for nothing that the Indigenous Democratic Front had on more than one occasion demanded that the ADCs be made to function from their respective headquarters.

This is a strong indicator of how the election to the ADCs have not been able to serve its intended purpose. That it failed to cut ice with the people or the authority concerned is there for all to see and herein lies the question of whether the Government has a vested interest in letting the status quo continue.

Readers of The Sangai Express would also have come face to face with a recent interesting development.

Funds for constructing barrack type quarters for the ADCs have been sanctioned. This is a welcome development, but what is most interesting, interesting in a comical way, is the decision of the Government to select two agencies to construct the said quarters.

Obviously one is the ADC itself while the other is the Manipur Tribal Development Council.

While the ADC has been 'awarded' the task of constructing the structure, the finishing task, that is including the roofing work would be the prerogative of the MTDC, which is a public undertaking institution.

Logic seems to be missing here in a big way. But then logic has never been the strength of the Government, by any yardstick.

Failing to respect the sanctity of an institution, the members of which have been elected as the peoples' representatives would render the meaning of holding the election in the first place hollow and meaningless.