Why the citizens of Manipur should choose a new ruling party for the greater interest of the citizen in the state, and why the BJP should ally with other parties accept Congress and NPF in 2017 Manipur general election?
The constitution of India has given us freedom of expression to her citizens under Article 19 (1) (a). “To freedom of speech and expression”; allowed me to express what I thought as a common citizen of Manipur regarding 2017 General Election. Hopefully, I will vote in the upcoming general election on February the 2017; let’s reason together when we have time and power in our hand to choose right candidates in the deserved party to form a new government. When we analyze on the present political scenario, the citizens of Manipur need a new government in our state; but the question still remain, which party deserve a chance to form a government and why?
India is the largest democracy among the democratic nations in the world; where the Manipur state is located in the Northeastern part of India, and the Indian National Congress Party (Congress) has its stronghold, which has been dominating since independence.
No doubt the people of Manipur love Congress, I love Congress and my girlfriend love Congress. However, I have enough knowledge and wisdom to judge the law and governance system of the state in our country; where I find the mess in ‘the administrative system and law and order’ in our state under Congress rule, we have right to be fixed it. But the question is, how can we fix it?
We can fix it by exercising our voting right and constitutional rights; we can form a new government in our choice, we can elect the dedicated and committed candidates in a deserved party who can represent us to run the democratic form of Government. We have had enough experience of electing righteous candidates in Congress party, but all of them stuck in the system of the party.
Honestly speaking, I should say that Congress party has been ruling consecutively for three terms but I find no satisfaction and all their promises fades away with the wind because they didn’t follow the law of the land, law and order in the administration is totally corrupted by the system. We need to fix it, we should give a chance to BJP and her allies; so that they can make Manipur a peaceful and beautiful place to live in one for all.
No allies between BJP and Congress in Manipur: It is the high time to analyse the Manipur state politics; the congress rule in the state has been deeply regretted by the citizen of Manipur because we have had suffered enough in many ways for couple of decades. Therefore, BJP should not ally with Congress because Congress ruling party has been failed to people of Manipur, especially to tackle the corruption in Manipur but rather spreading the culture of selling the jobs to the public, they unable to settle the issues with Manipur base militant for peace but rather insurgencies multiplies, in their third time in power, the unemployment rate of the youth is rising rapidly, but they fail to create jobs and the development is totally cripple for various factors but they fail to recover it. On the other hand, the security forces have been misbehaving to the civilians in many occasion, civilians have been living under their mercy where spirit of democracy become dumped under Disturb Area Act (DAA, 1990).
The army have license to kill the civilians in suspicion and the Congress government are protecting such uncivilized episode; I was humiliated by Assam Rifles; checked all my vehicles and detained for approximately 30 minutes by asking many nonsense questions on my way to Ukhrul town on 19th August 2016, around 2:13 pm near Kalhang village (Huishu temporary check point), they have totally forgotten that we the citizens employed them to protect us but they threatened us with gun in hand, and I felt sorry for them.
The army officers should understand that we employed them to protect us but not to harass civilians and they should teach their soldiers how to behave with the civilians especially when on duties; instead of giving service to us, their act are irritating to the general public which is highly imponderable in our daily life.
All the ‘failure of the state and legacy of the army’ claim goes to Congress government in Manipur; why did they need AFSPA for administering the state, if they need AFSPA to maintain the law and order to run the state then they don’t deserve my vote or our vote to form a government in 2017 general election in Manipur. I have realized that the law and order of the state has totally breakdown in my observation; so, I question, has there been no party which can form a government as an alternative to the Congress? Yes, we have many parties and BJP is one of the favourite among them! Recently BJP has emerged as more powerful to any other party in many part of the country especially in Assam and Manipur in Northeast.
No allies between BJP and NPF in Manipur: We need to give full support to BJP for political reasons in Manipur to form a new government; however, the BJP shouldn’t ally with NPF in the outer Manipur especially in Naga inhabited areas. The people of the hills and the valley always clash their interest, where Naga people in outer Manipur demand for greater Nagalim which will effect Manipur integration and the Meitei stand strong for Manipur integrity in order to protect Manipur integrity, the so called state-BJP shouldn’t merge with NPF. By knowing the fact that BJP is the only party who can protect ‘Manipur integrity’ and ‘Inner Line Permit’ so, we should vote for them because BJP in the Centre will not hurt the sentiment of BJP in the state (Manipur) but they will be respected under BJP party’s rule and regulation.
However, if the Congress emerges in power in Manipur then the Manipur’s integrity is at high risk and ILP demand will be rejected by the tribal and Centre because BJP in the Centre will not hesitate to exercise the Article 3 of Indian constitution, it said “Formation of new states and alteration of areas, boundaries or name of existing states. – Parliament may by law- (a) form a new state by separation of territory from any state or by uniting two or more state or parts of State by uniting any territory to a part of any state; (b) increase the areas of any state; (c) diminish the areas of any state; (d) alter the boundaries of any state; (e) alter the name of any state;” and strike down the demand for ILP in Manipur by both tribal and Centre. Every concern citizens and intellect should reason together; the best and only way to protect Manipur integrity and amend ILP in Manipur is to vote for BJP, and we can make the Imphal the best smart city.
On the other hand, let the Nagas and tribal of outer Manipur get their autonomous councils under Article 371 C by supporting to NPF (Naga dominated areas) but I want to appeal them to protect Manipur integrity for peaceful co-existence with all community in Manipur until the Naga political negotiation is settled.
Naga should understand that the demand for greater Nagalim has nothing to do with Manipur politics but they should focus on Indo-Naga peace talk. On the other hand, non-Nagas bordering with Nagalim should respect to the political and historical rights of the Naga people for final settlement. Every citizens of Manipur need to give a chance to BJP for political reason; so we can get more fund for development and create more employment for the youth, remove AFSPA (1958) and DAA in Manipur, demanding for Sadar Hill District can be sort-out in the earliest and reduce corruption by applying zero corruption policy. We have a good opportunity; we shouldn’t miss it; since the BJP rule in the Centre are willing to work together for better tomorrow of Manipur.
I come back to Manipur to serve the people and clean the politics; I can assure to every citizen of Manipur that BJP can fix the legacy of Congress in the Manipur; the defection of Congress members to BJP is one of the strongest signals to the people for forming a new government in Manipur.
In conclusion, the present political scenario signifies that the system is totally breakdown and the citizen of Manipur has been victimized for few decades; it’s high time for change and we have a right to change the government of our choice. We have given enough chances to Congress government since independent but they fail to the people of Manipur in many ways; especially rising the corruption rate, lack of development in the state, rising of unemployment rapidly and totally breakdown of law and order in the state, which Mr Okram Ibobi led congress government has failed to the citizens of Manipur time and again.
I love Congress party! Since my forefather till the last election, our families supported Congress but now I have realized that BJP deserves at least one chance in Manipur for political reasons.
Let the Congress prepare to accept their mistake and move forward for a change; however, we the people of Manipur will be happy to give a chance to Congress party when they realize their mistake and when they are ready to serve the citizen of Manipur under the law of the land. On the other hand, we will not regret for giving a chance to BJP in this election in my observation. I appeal all the people of Manipur to vote for change and development. May good God bless to the people of Manipur and it’s resources!
(The author is specialized in Law and Governance and ex-executive officer of Greenpeace International; presently working as a social worker in Manipur. He can be reached at karinshimrah@gmail.com)
