General Election 2014: Manipur and the wave of change

Ninglun Hanghal *

Supporters of Dr T Meinya, winner of Inner Manipur P/C seat on 17 May 2014 :: Pix - Deepak Oinam

State Chief Minister was not wrong when he said "the change in the center" did not and will not affect Manipur. He went on to even assure that the future is safe in his hands ( Read – change in centre will not forfeit the State's rights and entitlements, TSE May 18) . The two sitting Member of Parliament representing Inner and Outer Manipur Parliamentary constituency, both from the Indian National Congress were re-elected for another term. It is the third term for Thokchom Meinya and second term for Thangso Baite.

Amidst the wave of "change" rather the "Modi chant" in mainstream politics in India , the peripheral small state of Manipur with total electorates of 1,764,768 ( CEO-2014) remain un-perturbed, or so it seems. But it is not totally true. There are few indications that hinted at the hunger for change and a wave of a new shift in Manipur.

Though the State Chief Minister and his close aid Dy CM downplays the "change" , the second most interesting election ever in Post Independent India , after Indira Gandhi's fall in 1977, with a historic landmark stamped under the leadership of Narandra Modi in this 16th Lok Sabha , Manipur too is not without the ripple effect. The outcry for "change" the campaign against corruption (expose of scams after scams under the UPA government ) , the uproar against anti-incumbency, and most importantly the issue of unemployment had seeped into every nook and corner of India. It will be wrong to say that this wave does not touch Manipur.

Infact Congress Party ruled the state for decades purely on the gratitude of the voters, where the first generation of Politician were born under the INC in 1972, when Manipur statehood was grante. Therefore credit for Jobs and what-ever little development the state has until today, goes to the Congress.

Presently, while BJP and its allies, supporters, indulged in celebrations, it may also be underlined that the victory of the BJP is not entirely on their own strength, but due to the 'weakness' and down sliding of the Congress, made worst by a series of corruption, bureaucrat – politician nexus exposed by the Media. Campaign against corruption, actually kicked off by the AAM AADMI party, was fortunately capitalized by the BJP successfully and unfortunately for the AAP, their inexperience coupled with impatience and "activists style" of functioning could not take them beyond the streets.

Back home, election result showed quite an interesting trend. In outer Manipur constituency out of the total 894,828 voters, the INC candidate scored 296,770 close to the heel is runner up NPF with 281,133, the third BJP candidate scored 75,828 . A close race indeed. INC candidate Th. Baite scored 3,44,517 in the 2009 election , his close rival Mani (PDA) scored 2,24,719, a down fall of 47,747 votes in 2014. Many attributed this to the rise of the Naga People's Front (with "star" campaigner CM of Nagaland Nephiu Rio canvassing in Naga areas). In the Inner Manipur constituency it was a tight fight, with the sitting MP and Congress candidate scoring 292102 and his close rival CPI (M) coming quite close to 197428.

The trend is a blot on incumbency and no doubt the anti-incumbency sentiments.

Churachandpur district is a case in point. Interestingly, the NPF scoring was in thousands in all the Polling stations in Churachandpur district. It scored numbers in hundreds in the other non Naga areas too. The overall performance of the NPF, a "surprise" for Dy CM Gaikhangam, is but an indication of the hunger for change. For the first time in Churachandpur , there was no diktat from traditional and civil bodies. This is a statement to say that there is no "gun point" (open for correction, if any). Another major 'change' apart from stray incidents of proxy / bogus voting , there was no reports of "booth Capturing" in Churachandpur district. On a lighter note, with this unusual move by the "leaders" with no strict announcement, the CCpurians were left confused and indecisive.

In Manipur Lok Sabha election normally witness lower turn out than state elections, this time the outer Manipur constituency saw more than 80% turn out. An indication of the desire for change ? Of course, Successive high voter turn-out of more than 70% in the Lok Sabha elections and even higher turn outs in State assembly elections in Manipur is altogether a different story.

Modi was the most popular in the social network sites. The wave is very much here at our "homeland" too, like in the mainland, social networking site, FB pages, including candidates' specific pages were active with opinions, arguments, debates flooding the sites. Know your candidate is an event that is something "new" to the Manipuris. Candidates were made to face an open "questions". This is definitely a "change". And the Media's role cannot be sidelined.

As rightly stated by CM O.Ibobi , that change in the Centre did affect the State, vice versa, these " changes " in the state obviously did not make much of an impression in the national wave.

Indeed, far from the mainland politics, there is a quiet churning, away from the "national" media glare. More than a hundred "underground" outfits exercise their franchise, formally and democratically. Can we not say this is "change"? For the first time none of the "UGs" both Valley and Hill 'insurgent' groups did not call for any "boycott" and most of the groups do not 'interfere'. This is no doubt a "change" for a state like Manipur.

A new beginning is made and 'better days' are coming to Manipur. Though, the color and facets may be different. Majority of voters are young informed generation, who today has the privileged of soft power, communication and technology advancement to chart their own destiny. The most important change will be towards the un-doing of the ethnic polarization, an area that will be a big challenge. Surely, we can begin to light some of our dark minds, while we wait for power to bring electricity to our cities, towns and villages.