What is the stand of BJP Govt ? MU crisis, NSCN (IM) talk
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: July 30 2018 -

The question is, what is the official stand of the BJP led Government on two of the most pressing issues in the State at the moment ?

What is the stand of the BJP led Government at Imphal on the demand that the Vice Chancellor of MU Professor AP Pandey must step down ?

What is the stand of the BJP led Government on the position of the people that Article 371 (A) which is in force in Nagaland should not be extended to any pockets of the State as a part of finalising the peace process between New Delhi and the NSCN (IM) ?

The MU issue has already been apprised to the Central Government, best exemplified by the probe committee that has been instituted.

However other than highlighting the issue to the Centre, what is the position of the State Government on the demand that AP Pandey be removed as VC ?

Officially the State Government cannot have a say on who should or should not be the VC for remember MU is a Central varsity, but at least a stand is what is expected.

More so since Delhi is also under a BJP led Government and surely the opinion of a Government under the BJP at Imphal will carry weight.

Making this equation clear to Delhi is perhaps what is needed for remember next year the country will go to polls and surely the BJP cannot afford to be seen as being indifferent to the fact that the future of thousands of students is at stake.

Not that anyone is expecting the BJP led Government to make known its stand publicly, but this is nonetheless an important question and there is a strong likelihood that the Centre will seek the opinion of the State Government when it comes to the crux.

The only thing is whether the Biren Singh led Government is ready to state its stand convincingly or not.

The BJP led Government too will have to take an official stand before the final deal is struck with the NSCN (IM), which may be any day soon.

With three major CSOs, AMUCO, CCSK and UCM already pulling up its sleeves and announcing a 24 hour bandh from midnight of July 31, the mood of the people must be clear to the Government.

It is however interesting to note that the Biren Singh led Government has so far not yet publicly laid down an official stand.

What is its stand on the talk doing the round that Article 371 (A) may be extended to areas which are claimed to be Naga inhabited ?

What if this article is extended to the Naga inhabited areas ?

More importantly what stand has the BJP led Government here conveyed to New Delhi, regarding the final outcome of the peace talk ?

Territory intact, but some sort of a dual administration, bypassing the State Government, is the model that may be worked out is the stand of numerous civil society organisations and the Congress too.

If such a model comes about what will be the response of the BJP Government here ?

All questions at the moment, but it should be more than clear that the BJP led Government at Imphal cannot afford to simply brush aside the matter for remember Article 371 (A) has come into focus only after Interlocutor RN Ravi disclosed the status of the peace talk to the Joint Parliamentary Committee some time back.