Manipur within saffron range

Free Thinker *

Prime Minister Narendra Modi election rally at Langjing Achouba ground on 25th February 2017 :: Pix - Shankar Khangembam

Modiji proclaimed that 'there is nothing harmful in the accord'. He contemplated and wanted to rescue the people of Manipur from 10% syndrome. He enunciated that "maintaining law and order is the sole responsibility of the State government which includes dealing with the blockades; and no one has the right to rule if unable to maintain peace".

He also hinted an IIT for the State, promised irrigation for agriculture, jobs for youths and treatment for elderly people. The crowd was mesmerized and workers energized.

Today, BJP top brass have realized that the most precious thing of Manipur is its land and people (Nagas-Meiteis-Kukis-Pangans). Everything else can come later. Progress, development, curbing corruption, imparting-right-education, employment-generation, dialogue with the insurgents etc. can be taken up when the land and people are intact.

Manipuris are a stubborn people who live on past-glory and present-patriotic-pride. They are un-petrifiable people who stood up against the mighty British in whose empire the sun never set (Anglo-Manipuri War 1891), knowing fully well that not a single soldier would return alive; that time Manipuris had a fearless and powerful Naga general, Thangal General; he also died at the gallows for the sake of this land and its people.

Whether you believe it or not the Saffron range has reached the remotest corners of the country. A decade ago it was a party mainly visible in the central and north-western parts of the country with the exception of Karnataka. Today its influence is apparent in every nook and corner of the country.

In Twang (Arunachal Pradesh) 10,000 ft. above the sea level there is a BJP office with its lotus flag flying high, a party traveler showed the photo to me as an evidence of saffron penetration. One journo again told me that he found a BJP cell operating at the Indo-Myanmar border in a remote corner of Moreh town where party workers come and go.

Another report says in the remote villages of Tamenglong the BJP workers are openly peeping and pricking the workers of other political parties.

People don't mind any kind of leadership (had Naga CMs earlier) as long as the State and people remain united and integrated. Unfortunately, some leaders are trying to dismember this wonderland. Such attempts must be resisted tooth and nail. They are poisoning the minds of the innocent people.

Consequently, a kind of hatred and distrust is culminated among the people. Sucking out this poison from the people is possible only when a clause is inserted in Article 371 (C) of the Indian Constitution providing that the territorial integrity of Manipur is irrevocable (as merged with India in 1949). Let the people decide how to go about it?

I am neither a pessimist nor an optimist but a possibilist. I keep pondering on the possibilities of every situation. As per my calculation and assessment on the table, Manipur is heading towards a hung Assembly. No party would be able to get absolute majority. Earlier, Congress was in a much better position to cross the haft way mark.

But today the situation has changed considerably if not dramatically. I won't be surprised to see many new faces in the Assembly this time. As of now the probability of a coalition government is extremely high.

In a democracy, we need a strong opposition otherwise we can't have a democracy worth the name. Now-a-days the opposition is very weak and almost negligible. I always have sympathy for the weaker side and that is my weakness. A stable government with a strong opposition ought to be the intrinsic value a vibrant democracy.

When the next government is formed let us also hope and long for a strong opposition. Saffron think- tanks of today are very different from those of the last century; now they are more aggressive and pragmatic; they are ready to work out all posibilities to capture power; and they maneuver accordingly to have their way. Perhaps they firmly believe in the adage 'everything is fair in war and politics.'

When enquired about the formation of next government in Manipur, one prominent Saffron leader whispered that "we have three models namely, Assam-model, J&K-model and Arunachal-model, at present we are seriously working on the Assam-model; if it does not work on March 11, we may go ahead with the J&K-model, and again if that too fails then, we have no choice except accepting the Arunachal-model.

This model is a fool-proof model which is beyond the reach of the Tenth Schedule (anti-defection law) and honorable Courts. And this model is particularly designed for the small and beautiful States like Manipur, Goa, etc. In any case the state will be in the saffron map of India in 2017, and Congress candidates are very confident out it."