Issues and LS polls
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: March 27, 2009 -

It is the Parliamentary election no doubt and while other States of the Indian Union may debate on issues concerning the performance of the Congress led UPA Government at the Centre, here in Manipur it is going to be more about the performance of the Congress led SPF Government in Imphal.

Forget about foes or allies, it is election time and all political parties have taken the line that the best way to dent the chances of others and project one's candidate is to take pot shots at the others. Perhaps nothing illustrated this better than the manner in which CPI general secretary AB Bardhan took digs at the Congress in the Centre and the State Congress.

True the Left parties, which accounted for 61 MPs in the 14th Lok Sabha, broke ties with the UPA over the Nuclear deal with the USA, but it is also equally important to remember that the CPI, one of the major constituent parties amongst the Left, is still the major partner of the Congress in the SPF Government.

Taking into considerations the local situation, AB Bardhan did the right thing in talking about the revocation of AFSPA and of course Irom Sharmila Chanu. This is significant since no Congress leader of any importance had stated that they would support the Congress candidate, if elected, whenever the issue of AFSPA is raised on the floor of Parliament.

Again no other party, other than the Left, has given so much assurance as protecting the territorial integrity of Manipur under the shadow of the Nagalim demand raised by the NSCN (IM), under the cover of the ongoing peace talk with the Government of India. All these instances show that allies can also go on the offensive against comrades in arms in the Government.

Mr Bardhan has also vindicated our belief that it is local issues, but with potential National and even international ramifications, which will decide the outcome of the results of the Lok Sabha polls in Manipur.

The astute politician that he is, Mr Bardhan did not dwell so much on issues like the Nuclear deal or even the Mumbai terror attack, but instead tried to strike a chord with the public by playing the AFSPA card.

Whether this will pay or not will only be known after the election, but the fact stands that in Manipur, the question of electing the two representatives to the Lok Sabha will depend on how they address local issues, not merely promises.

It is also interesting to note the sharp political divides between the Inner and Outer Parliamentary Constituencies. While the magic word in the Inner seat will be about protecting the territorial integrity of Manipur, in the Outer it will invariably mean the creation of a Greater Lim or a Kuki homeland.

This is the contradiction that can be expected and it is not for any other reason why the Congress party, which have made a sort of history by capturing absolute majority in the 60 member State Assembly is hard pressed to neutralise Mr Charenamei, a known votary of a Greater Lim.

We will also have to take into consideration the presence of another heavy weight in the Outer seat, in the person of Mr Loli Adanee, the choice of the BJP.