Turning stability on its head : Manipur Pvt Ltd Co.
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: August 25 2011 -

The next Assembly election is a good five months away, if the general understanding that it is likely to be held in February next year is anything to go by. Manipur will be voting for her 10th Assembly then and in all these years it has been more a case of understanding Parliamentary democracy by its name than by its principles and there are reasons to draw this conclusion.

It is under this warped, twisted and monetised understanding of democracy that Manipur is set to elect her 60 representatives for the 10th time and while it would be foolish to go crystal ball gazing at the moment, there are certain constants which have been dictating the direction of the election wind for quite some time and among the constants, the Ibobi factor stands out glaringly.

Apart from notching up the record of being the first ever man in Manipur to complete a full term in office, Chief Minister O Ibobi has also succeeded in steering the Congress to its best ever show in the 9th Assembly capturing 31 seats in the 60 member Assembly.

These are highly commendable achievements, which even the redoub- table Rishang Keishing could not achieve during his hey days in active politics, but ironically it is in these achievements itself where the greatest failures of the SPF Government are reflected. Ten years in office has not meant governance by any stretch of the imagination.

At best it has meant ten years of stability for the chair of the Chief Minister and this seems to have worked excellently for Mr Ibobi and his cronies. This is where the term stability, as understood in politics, has been turned on its head and given a totally new definition.

Stability, which was achieved more by default when the BJP led NDA Government passed the stringent anti-defection Bill in 2003, has increa- singly come to be understood as stability of the Chief Minister's chair and nothing more and this by extension has resulted in such a situation where everything needs to be understood and viewed through the persona of Mr Okram Ibobi.

The systematic pursuance of this agenda is sharply reflected and visible in the non-existent Opposition, the shrivelling up of civil society organisations, the dominance of the Yes Sir culture in the corridors of power. A classic case of trashing the ‘First Among Equals’ belief of Parliamentary democracy.

If this does not run contrary to the principles of democracy as understood in the context of India, then a redefinition of all that democracy stands for is urgently called for. Personality becoming synonymous with a Government is not something new and India has had Nehru at the National level.

The similarities end here for Nehru walked tall among his peers through his unquestionable commitment to work for the people. It would take the greatest actor on earth to say the same thing about the present dispensation in Manipur without batting an eyelid.

And so it is that Manipur will go to polls sometime in the early part of next year under this twisted belief of democracy. Interest demonstrated in the election process is a healthy sign that democracy is alive and kicking.

However this interest can take a sinister turn when wannabe candidates, all under the garb of social workers, suddenly start taking on the role of the Good Samaritans and form a serpentine queue in seeking the blessings of the people.

Why this is so can be understood in the context of a growing culture where candidates are hand picked by a few powerful and moneyed political netas, to serve their political purpose and not for any interest of the land and the people in general. Election then is an investment to these people.

To the political netas, who have hand picked their candidates, it is about the need to show that they have the requisite number of supporters when it matters and to the candidates who have worked their way to be picked, it is about money and all the trappings that come with being close to the source of power.

It is a vicious cycle and such a political culture has a cascading effect on public life and on the functioning of the Government.

The avatars of this political culture can be seen in the extinction of the professional contractors with their place being filled up by the fly by night operators and their overwhelming presence can be seen on the torn and tattered roads, the intermittent delay in finishing a job, the numerous cases of the money being withdrawn without a shred of work being executed.

It is the public which have to face the consequences. It is in this all pervading situation that Manipur will go to polls next year. Why has situation come to such a pass may perhaps be explained in the backdrop of power getting concentrated in the hands of only a few people. From being the leaders of the people, the next step is to monopolise power and play God.

Manipur stands very close to such a stage where for all practical purposes it can be reduced to a Pvt Ltd Company or an X Inc. How many years has the RIMS road been under construction ?

How long did the BT flyover take to see the light of day ? Why are the upper floors of the newly constructed market complexes at Khwairamband bazar still unoccupied ?

Why has the Government been sleeping over the Sadar Hills district demand ? Why is NH-53 in such a pitiable state even though the need for a second lifeline has been felt all these years ?

Has the increase in the Plan outlay of the State benefited the average Tomba and Chaoba ?

These are the questions with which Manipur will go to polls, but the worrying part is these questions may just be buried under an avalanche of crispy notes.