Not the time to remain silent spectators : Time for MPP to raise the pitch
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: March 19 2015 -

Silence may not be the better part of valour here.

In the face of the intense demand raised by the Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System to protect the indigenous population and accordingly enact a legislation along the line of the Inner Line Permit System, it is surprising to see most of the political parties failing to raise their pitch and have a say.

The Manipur People’s Party may have said something earlier, but so far it has not raised its pitch.

The State unit of the BJP too have remained quiet and so have the other political parties such as the Left parties, All India Trinamool Congress and others.

The near silence of political parties like the CPI, CPI (M), AITC, BJP etc may be understood in the backdrop of the fact that they are not confined to the State alone, but it says something significant that so far the MPP and even the Naga People’s Front have not raised their voice to the level that is expected from regional political parties.

What is stopping them ?

Is it a case of political equations, read electoral questions, gaining precedence over the need to protect the indigenous population from the rapidly increasing population of non-locals ?

Vote bank politics can be dangerous and dicey.

This is what all political parties need to keep in mind at the moment, especially at this point of time when the JCILPS has loudly echoed the need to protect the indigenous people.

This is where political parties need to step in and give the movement some sort of a political colour.

If any of the political parties are against the demand raised by the JCILPS then they should have the moral courage to say so, publicly.

If they do agree or back the move of the JCILPS then they do need to do more than just extend support.

By virtue of being the oldest regional political party in the State and perhaps the oldest in the North East region, more is expected from the MPP. Now that they have urged the Governor not to give his assent to the Manipur Regulation of Visitors, Tenants and Migrant Workers Bill, 2015, it may be taken that they do support the cause taken up by the JCILPS.

However that support needs to be more than just issuing statements to the press.

Time for the oldest political party to become more vocal and exactly state their stand.

Time also for the MPP to chip in with suggestions on what may be done in the days to come.

Let other pressing issues such as the lack of work culture among the local people be addressed but it is only right that political parties too jump into the fray and start participating in the movement to protect the indigenous people of the State.

The objective should be to make it a political movement and the involvement of political parties in the demand raised by the JCILPS will go a long way in accomplishing this.

It is here that the MPP should step in if it truly wants to live up to the billing of a regional political party which means business.