Should Manipur CM Biren Singh at least offer to quit?
New Delhi
The voting has ended in Karnataka. The exit polls do not have a very good message for BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. My interactions with Naga leaders -- both political and otherwise -- reveal a kind of a glee. Most people seem are keen to see the back of the Modi government.
The so-called Double Engine talk is merely rhetoric. Many people, Netas and officials want the days of crowning glory of Congress. Of course the reasons are varied. One need not judge that as of now.
But BJP leaders in Delhi have a different kind of explanation. They believe people have been attracted towards BJP and its allies in the north east including towards NDPP in Nagaland due to 'genuine' appreciation of the policies of the Modi government. It is not the simple 'attraction' of power as we generally believe by the connection of cold weather and sneezing.
According to them, most of it is guided by the 'trust' they have in Narendra Modi and the supposed
sincerity he has shown towards the region, the people and their culture and customs.
Even there has been a tweet. Prime Minister Modi penned: "Wonderful news. Only those who have eaten the Bhoot Jolokia will know how spicy it is!". It is said Asthma patients do get relief by regular use of Naga king chili.
Naga traditional dishes flavoured with hints of ginger or garlic, some king chilli (Bhoot Jalokia) and a little oil or meat fat essentially help to retain the basic taste of the ingredients and does not encourage use of spices.
Other northeastern states have also attracted his attention.
On April 30 during his 100th episode of Mann Ki Baat, PM had recalled the story of Vijayashanti Devi
from Manipur. Ms Vijayashanti makes clothes from lotus fibres and thanks to 'Mann Ki Baat' endorsement
first sometime back, she now gets orders for bulk purchase from the US.
In his 79th episode of ‘Mann Ki Baat’, he had talked about the tiny town of Moirang which was once a major base of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s Indian National Army, INA.
Mizoram too has been lucky to get reference in the Mann Ki Baat in October 2015.
PM Modi had taken the name of the hitherto little known Mizoram’s Khawalailung village
from the remote Champai district and most Mizos were impressed.
Mizoram has of course left behind the troubled days of insurgency in 1986. Mizos are hard working and pragmatic. Other northeastern tribes have not yet emulated those. And mind you, even their campaign to discard the use of money in elections is quite successful.
It may be mentioned that the Khawalailung village was adopted earlier by Mizoram’s only Lok Sabha member
C L Ruala (Congress) under the Adarsh Gram Yojana. And Modi did not mix up politics as the BJP leaders
put it.
Yet again in the 85th Episode of ‘Mann Ki Baat’ PM mentioned Padma Shri awardee 77-year-old Lourembam Beino
Devi of Manipur for conserving the Liba textile art of Manipur for decades. He mentioned
Thounaojam Niranjoy Singh, 24- who has made a record of 109 push-ups in a minute.
One should add here that on April 30, I spoke to senior Naga politician M Chuba Ao, BJP national vice president.
"Mann Ki Baat programme has a direct connect between India's top political executive that is the PM with the last man in a village or on the street," Mr Chuba said.
"I was happy to note that a large number of women enthusiasts in the crowd on April 30 during
Mann Ki Baat at Rangsakona Mandal in the Garo Hills had endorsed the Prime Minister’s spirit vis-à-vis the
theme of Vocal for Local and now Local for Global".
No one will dispute that. Now comes the oft repeated subject: what will the PM do about Naga peace talks.
If Karnataka sets a trend of Congress revival and the game plan continues till 2024; there are reasons to
believe that the Naga peace talks would go for a toss.
We have yet another important issue to discuss about the Modi government's approach towards the northeast.
This relates to the violence in Manipur and fixing the accountability for the deaths of about 60 people in Manipur
in just a few days of violence. Should Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh at least offer to step aside?
This question makes deeper sense when we try to examine the violence on the backdrop of ST status demand. Imphal East district police arrested two persons for theft from residential houses at
Checkon area after the clash.
We should get to know more on these lines as the violence and the manner it exploded show some
of the things were 'well planned'. Wrongdoers must be taken to task.
On ground reports have claimed that nearly 99 percent of displaced people have been ensured safe passages.
As many as 1500 people stranded at different relief camps in Imphal reached Churachandpur and another
1500 reportedly reached Imphal from Churachandpur. It has been reported that 99 per cent of the displaced
people staying in different relief centres reached Bishnupur and Imphal.
As many as 1229 Nagas have been 'evacuated' from Manipur by Assam Rifles in coordination with the
Nagaland government. Creditably for those involved in Assam Rifles's 'Operation Kohima Calling' that
47 girls/females were successfully extricated from a veneer factory.
It will be expected of Home Minister Amit Shah now to visit Manipur at the earliest and assure people
of all necessary assistance. In response he should get the assurance that the wounds of Manipur
do not spread to other states. The interpretation of 'cleansing' with regard to the 'safe passage and
evacuation' of different tribal people from Imphal and adjoining areas in the valley must be also
closely examined by the concerned authorities.
This region has seen enough of such clashes and enough of so-called 'cleansing'.
Forget tribals-non tribals; episodes like the Reang-Mizo differences and Naga-Kuki issues of the 1990s
are really unfortunate.
It is time sanity prevails and the 'sincerity' displayed by all will be important achievements; and more so for the
government(s) of the day both in Imphal and in New Delhi.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju has done the right thing to circulate an open letter written on behalf of the North East
Members of Parliament Forum urging all communities to stay together during these difficult times.
ends
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