Manipur election 2017: Unmissable chance to vote for real change

Jalun Haokip *

Voting for 16th Lok Sabha election 2014 for Inner Manipur Parliamentary in April 2014 :: Pix - Jinendra Maibam

The ruling Congress party is engrossed in Scare Campaign as it bids for re-election for fourth term and struggles to keep the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at bay, whereas BJP trumpets Anti-Incumbency, Anti-Corruption and Change as it seeks people’s mandate to form government in Manipur for the first time.

Whatever the unabated scare campaigns over the topics of territorial integrity, economic blockade and Naga Framework Agreement, and whatever the mudslinging between different political parties and candidates with an aim to distract public attention from real issues and to garner votes in the forthcoming Manipur Assembly election, what matters most is if this election will bring change in Manipur and what positive impacts it will have on the lives of the people and on the society as a whole.

Congress’ propaganda that if BJP comes to power in Manipur the territorial integrity of Manipur will be broken and that the newly created districts will be rolled back is nothing but only a scare tactic and a mere political rhetoric. Like the Congress, BJP has categorically consistently clarified that under no circumstances will it allow Manipur’s territorial integrity to be compromised. While condemning the timing of district creation just before election and accusing the Congress government of drawing political mileage out of it, BJP vowed to provide adequate powers, infrastructures and funds to the new districts to make them fully functional.

Another scare campaign of the Congress saying BJP is a communal party, anti-Christian etc does not get anywhere as people are aware of India being a secular country. The first ever known incident of burning down of a place of worship in the history of Manipur took place at Patsoi, Imphal West district on May 13, 2015 when mobs set a Meitei Christian church on fire. However disturbing it is, this does not necessarily make the Congress party a communal party. Political parties need to maintain some standards in their political rhetoric even at election time. Congress is a secular party and so is the BJP.

Congress’ scare campaign will potentially scare away people from voting for the party. As regards district creation for administrative convenience which is State government’s prerogative, people of the respective districts should not have been made to suffer unnecessarily for too long.

Tengnoupal used to be the district headquarter until it was shifted to Chandel and recreating it as a full-fledged district was long overdue. Kangpokpi (Sadar Hills) should have been inaugurated as a full-fledged district along with the other five Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) as per the Parliament Act [(Manipur Hill Areas) District Council Act, 1971] which provided for upgradation of the six ADCs into a full-fledged district later on. District creation should not be an issue for any particular community unless there is a genuine reason like a case where areas in hill districts are transfer of hill areas to valley districts/area or vice versa.

Good governance, development, better healthcare and education systems, law and order, social justice, economy and employment – ‘change’ to sum up in one word is what electorate seem to be seriously interested to vote for when they cast votes on March 4 and 8.

The past 15 years of Congress rule has been a disaster. There is a growing disconnect between the government and the people, and hill-valley divide has widened. Except for the little improvement in Manipur Public Service Commission and in power supply as a result of corporatisation of power department, the removal of Assam Rifles from Kangla Fort after prolonged mass movement and the construction of some government infrastructures, although substandard, and welfare programmes here and there, there is nothing worth mentioning of the achievements of the 3 consecutive-terms Ibobi-led Congress government.

Corruption in Manipur is so rampant that it has become a way of life. The culture of corruption has been so embedded in Manipur society that it has damaged the fabric of the society.

Look at the deplorable conditions of roads and public distribution system and the deteriorating law and order situation. Look at the appalling situation of education and administration systems and also the pathetic state of health services and the level of inequity and gap between rich and poor. And, look at the massive escalation of drug and alcohol abuse and illegal drug trade, an example of which is the multi-crore rupees Pallel and Imphal Airport drug haul cases in 2013 which involved a nephew of CM Ibobi, son of a sitting Congress MLA and a high ranking army officer.

How many more cases of illegal drug business would have been exposed and illicit drug trade deterred had the Special Intelligence Unit of Manipur Police which seized the huge consignments of illicit drug been not disbanded by Ibobi’s government in a strange manner few days after the Imphal airport drug seizure incident. There is not a single government office where files are moved without a bribe – chathaknaba (money for a cup of tea). Corruption and misgovernance at every level has degraded Manipur society.

We cannot allow Manipur to go on like this with its myriad problems, otherwise we will all fall into the same pit. The problems are complex, but there has to be a solution. The government must work with the people and have political will to bring about changes. Mutual respect and understanding must take centre stage in building social harmony and peace and in finding a respectable political solution to the problems.

Why don’t leaders of all communities with legitimate but competing interests or demands sit together and work out a compromise solution? Tribals are not opposed to ILPS or a similar mechanism to protect the indigenous people, provided it will not affect tribal rights and interest, and I don’t believe valley people are opposed to 6th Schedule for tribals in hill districts as it will not disturb the State’s territorial integrity.

The most viable solution perhaps is separate territorial councils, under 6th Schedule provisions or greater, each for Naga and Kuki/Zo tribal people in their respective inhabited areas in the hills without breaking up the territory of Manipur, and ILPS or a similar protective system in the valley. In what should serve as a wake-up call to all the people of Manipur cutting across communal lines, BJP Manipur has come out with a 20-page “Chargesheet Against Congress – 15 years of Loot, 15 years of Destruction in Manipur”, which exposes and details high-level corruption in various departments and misgovernance of the 15 year long Congress government in Manipur.

It also assured that if voted to power BJP government would put all those involved behind bars. Will Manipur be next after Bihar and Tamil Nadu where chief minister have been sentenced or imprisoned on corruption cases in recent time? Hopefully yes if BJP comes to power, but only time will tell.

While the Congress party, which has miserably failed the people of Manipur on all fronts for the past 15 years, has not offered any hope for change, the BJP, which has never ruled the state, has given some hope of bringing in a change through reforms – to make the state bandh and corruption-free and bringing in development and restoring law and order and peace.

The ruling congress party definitely deserves to be voted out, and the BJP voted in to be given a chance to prove its worth. Manipur Election 2017 is an unmissable chance to vote for the much needed real change. Manipur cannot afford to miss it. Would be good to see Manipur growing and prospering in every sphere of life!