Why strong Mamata is good for us

Dayanidhi Huidrom *

Mamata Banerjee on her maiden visit to Manipur meets with Irom Sharmila on January 25, 2012

Our MPs are just ornamental pieces. Neither they can utter a single word nor possess any significance from political standpoint. Nitin Gadkari's recent comment was a true reflection of reality though such words from a national leader like him is totally unwarranted.

Bitter pill we, Manipuri, find distasteful ! It's at this juncture that a new political allignment should be made so that our voice is heard.

I have few comments to put forward why strong Mamata's Trinamool Congress is innocuously favourable to us. I am not going to argue why other so-called national parties (congess. BJP) and other smaller parties (MPP) are not as good as TMC. Every party is good (or bad) in its own way. We can assume some points to appreciate my arguments. Whatever the central govt dictates we are ought to follow.

Having a govt at the state as same as that of party at the centre undermines, at some level, our political importance. AFSPA is a classic example. Just recollect how forcefully Omar Abdulla of JK pressed his intention to repeal ASFPA. Though not succeed, he could spin the central govt and re-affirm his party political importance.

Ibobi can't pressurise centre to scrap ASPSA for a simple reason that the party here and there are same. If he does so, there will be a fracture in the state govt. The victim will be none other than Ibobi himself. Plainly speaking, he will do only that is pleasing to centre. Otherwise baton will be passed to Irabot or some other less demanding leader.

The same thing may be happen even if BJP rule at the state and, at the same time, centre. This kind of compulsive relation will always exist in this kind of structure and this very kind political make us hollow and indecisive.

On the other hand, the era of Congress dominating national politics was over. Regional forces become stronger. Thundering victory of Samajwadi Party in Utter Pradesh further emboldened the morale of the regional forces. Trinamool Congress (TMC) under Mamata had already toppled the 30+ years rule of red party and changed the political landscape of the country like never before.

In Manipur, beginning with Konthoujam bye-election and the recent general assembly election, TMC becomes a formidable force and we can no longer ignore them. It also opened its account in Arunachal Pradesh. Its next fight will be in Tripura assembly election (which is now ruled by Mamata biggest enemy). What it indicates is that TMC spent (and also intends to spend) great amount of energy in this region.

Elongation of TMC tentacles means renewed formulation of power equation. Regional blocs like AIADMK/ DMK in Tamil Nadu, Akali/ SP/ BSP in the north and TMC in the east re-configure national politics. Commonsense view is that it would be difficult for TMC to extend beyond eastern India.

Tapping this regional power itself is a bonus for TMC where it can spin any alliance it joins at the centre. Being a regional power, it will do whatever it is in the interest of the region. Doing so will capture and retain its regional supremacy. This is the reason how we are benefitted.

TMC is an ally of UPA but a notorious one. It pushes and pulls in any direction it wants. It blocks almost all major bills for one reason or other. FDI, Lokpal, Pension, NCTC etc. It's aptly called 'opposition within an alliance' by some media.

Same is that of DMK where it forces to support UN resolution on Sri Lanka. The motive of DMK looks more political than substantive. Whatever that case may be, what I want to assert is that Mamata can be powerful political master in the eastern bloc jst like DMK. That way we can assert more forcefully our concerns even for contentious issue like AFSPA.

Besides being physically proximal to NE, Bengal is culturally more connected with NE. Bengali, I feel, also have the same pulse. That way we can relayed our angst and disappointment more smoothly.