Source: The Sangai Express / NNN
Imphal, March 29 2009:
Merely seventeen days to go and the tempo with regard to the campaign-trail in the hill districts of Manipur for the up-coming Lok Sabha polls is still missing compared to the past elections.
The Outer Manipur Lok Sabha constituency goes to poll on April 16. In the previous ones, by this time tribal villages were already covered with feasting smokes billowing from the roasting of animals with political parties and their supporters charging themselves to the maximum panting their tongues with tension fiery.
However, the slow pace of campaigning does not mean that the tribal people in the Manipur hills are quite lethargic to polls.
Maturity of the people in politics, perhaps takes time to take off on the road shows and muscle flexing.
Had they been bitten by snakes that majority of the tribal people have experienced the venom and this time the blind man is cautious of not losing his walking stick again? But one thing is for sure that is a factor for the delayed electioneering in the tribal areas of Manipur - the complication that prevails of late in every election in the five hills districts, viz, Chandel, Churachandpur, Tamenglong, Senapati and Ukhrul.
The voters are on the close watch as to which direction the wind blows.
The tribal people are keeping their fingers crossed till date even as five candidates have filed their nomination papers.
Valley Rose, Loli Adanee, Thangso Baite, Mani Charenamei and LB Sona are now vying for the lone Outer Parliamentary seat of Manipur.
What may come up in the next few days but as of now, the tribal voters are heaping their conscience on the personalities of the candidates rather than the party affiliations.
From Monday, things may start gearing up and the flags of the candidates are expected to adorn like the butterflies fields.