The stake : Manipur and people : Take collective stand
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: December 05 2017 -
The stake is Manipur and the people.
Certainly the BJP and the Congress should acknowledge this, after all it is the future of the land and the people and this should override all other considerations such as gaining political mileage out of the situation.
By being the party in power at the Centre and at Imphal, the BJP is certainly at the backfoot and it is this chink which the Congress is leaving nothing to chance to hit out at.
Moreover it is the BJP led Government which has inked the Framework Agreement with no one really knowing what it contains.
A look at the series of public meetings the Congress has held in different parts of the State in the last couple of days should underline this point.
The question is, why can’t the two parties come together, share thoughts and then take up a united stand ?
Certainly this is not the time to pick holes on each other and instead concentrate on what Th Muivah and the collective leadership of the NSCN (IM) may have up their sleeves as well as study what Prime Minister Narendra Modi may have in his mind.
It is here that it becomes important to remind the Congress that the NPF has already spelt out its stand on the issue on more than one occasion, and it would not make much sense to demand that the party spell out its stand on the issue now.
Maybe this line has been adopted to embarrass the BJP for the two parties are supping together in the Government, but does it really matter at this point of time ?
This is not the time for one upmanship but to sit down together, share ideas and see how to present the case of Manipur as strongly and effectively as possible to New Delhi.
At the same time it is also disheartening to see only the Congress and the BJP taking prime stage on the issue while the other political parties have been relatively quiet.
What is the stand of the NPP at this point of time ? How about the LJP ?
Why are the Left parties not so vocal at this point of time ?
This is a question which has already been raised before but it would help if these parties too come out and say something openly, though they did reaffirm the November 18 resolutions, during the joint meeting of political parties and civil society organisations held on December 2 at Manipur Press Club.
This is not the time to be silent but be vocal but being vocal does not mean that it should be directed towards any community.
This is a point which should not blow over the heads of anyone, and turning a deaf ear to this would amount to defeating the very purpose for which the voice was raised in the first place.
So from protecting the territorial integrity of Manipur to now standing against any agreement that impinges on the interests of the land and people and it is clear that the peace parley between the Government of India and the NSCN (IM) is going ahead in a different direction.
Only time can tell what the final pact will be about, and this is all the more reason for everyone to be on their toes and not give in to sentiments which can only muddy the water further.
Let the BJP Government also reach out to all within the ambit of the ongoing peace talk.
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