Witoubou Newmai
As usual, some cameo acts by political parties and politicians have started moderating the ‘discourses’ again in Manipur, as in any other place, with the announcement of the schedules of the Lok Sabha polls. Interestingly, this development has come in a time when the Scheduled Tribe issue is reinvigorating the hill-valley strains.
Until few days ago, the Biren Singh government was in a tight spot, while unable to locate the chord that may sedate the hill-valley pandemonium on the Scheduled Tribe issue.
The Meitei community, under the banner of the Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee, Manipur (STDC-M), was aggressively demanding that the community is included in the ST list of India. Opposing the movement of the STDCM, the tribal people, under the aegis of the All Tribal Student Union, Manipur (ATSUM), were fervently campaigning that their “rights will be at stake” if the ST status is granted to the Meitei community. It is to be noted here that, the ATSUM is made up of the All Naga Student Association, Manipur (ANSAM) and the Kuki Student Organisation (KSO). Bandhs were called in both sides of the divide on the issue.
However, the talks of election are fast overwhelming the fire-place discourses now.
This scenario, however, does not mean that, people are not concerned with the issues. In other words, poor performance of any candidate or political party pro to the issues may not be necessarily be read as an index or a reflection of the people’s attitude towards the issues the party or the candidate is pushing. Especially in the hills, ordinary voters who are constantly disturbed by the thought of basic facilities, their needs become the immediate balm to soothe their headaches.
In the valley, too, inspite of raging issues there has been a placid voting pattern for a long time now. The glaring case one can cite to drive home a point is on the electoral defeat of Irom Sharmila.
All along, the people, especially in the valley districts, were rallying behind Sharmila in campaigns against the Armed Forces Special Powers’ Act (AFSPA). But in the last assembly election of Manipur, she got very little votes. There are several such examples where popular people have lost to abhorrent characters in the elections.
Given the above picture, it can be deduced that issues when they are made to entwine with electoral politics, the issues themselves get diluted. This is also to mean that good men and women and the issues they are fighting have less possibilities of succour in times of elections.
Except in some cases, sheer records reveal that issues seldom determine election verdicts in Manipur.
