Not a picture of peaceful poll
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: April 10, 2014 -

Leaving behind the days of intense political haranguing, name calling and trading charge, that were passed off as campaigning for the 16th Lok Sabha elections in the State, the polling to the reserved II-Outer Manipur Parliamentary Constituency was conducted on April 9 in 1,404 polling stations spread across 28 Parliamentary Constituencies in the five hill districts and some some assembly segments of Thoubal and Imphal East district.

Although the election to seal the fate of the 10 candidates in the fray has been over and the officials have claimed that the polling was peaceful, it appears that the post-election scenario is only going to be a bigger drama with candidates and political parties filing numerous complaints over manipulation of electronic voting machines (EVMs), booth capturing, snatching of EVM, proxy voting, etc, etc coming in think and fast from different directions.

While, K Zou, the candidate of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has lodged a complaint to the Election Commission against proxy voting in some polling stations of Churachandpur district, Naga People’s Front (NPF) has filed in connection with incidents of booth capturing by armed cadres of Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and malfunctioning of the EVMs in some polling stations in the hill districts. Similarly, BJP has lodged another complaint in connection with capturing of booth by militants in some polling stations of Chingai assembly constituency in Ukhrul district.

While we left the decision over whether or not to order re-polling in any of the polling stations where the alleged malpractices have been carried out to the wisdom of the Chief Electoral Officer in the State and the Chief Election Commissioner of India; nonetheless, we can’t help but to point out the undeniable fact that the conduct of election in most hill districts of Manipur has been anything but democratic and the voting behaviour of the electorates has always come under questioning. Regardless of the sealed lips among the electorates and shrews denials from power-that-be, the actual conduct of election in the hill districts of Manipur coming under the control of 'some mighty people', who become more than necessarily active during each election time, is not a secret to anyone including the polling officials on duty.

So, the allegations and complaints of malpractices in the just concluded election to the Outer Manipur Parliamentary Constituency should not be simply brushed aside as another round of political haranguing, name calling or trading charges among the political parties and candidates in the fray.

On the other hand, while it is interest to know that some of the Kuki UG cadres who are now under the agreement of Suspension of Operation with the Government have been granted electoral rights to choose candidate of their choice to represent them and raise their voices in the Parliament for the first time in the electoral history of Manipur, we are really unnerved to see the UG cadres exercising their franchise with guns strapped on to their shoulders.

What the guns doing in a democratic election if all the arms that were in the possession of the SoO signatory UG groups have been deposited in a strong room with double locking system in their respective designated camps? Surely, it is not a picture of a peaceful election.