Witoubou Newmai Interesting days are ahead in Manipur given the manner in which the BJP led Government was formed against the backdrop of myriad problems confronting that State. Certainly, it is all the more interesting given the fact that, the United Naga Council (UNC) backed Naga People’s Front (NPF) has joined the Government. Now that, lifting of the ongoing UNC sponsored economic “is the topmost priority” for the newly sworn-in Nongthombam Biren Singh’s Government, curiosity has heightened as to which approach the State Government may take to deal with the issue, and how is the UNC going to response to it. Whatever may be the case and reason, the Biren Singh government should note that the “please one, dump the other” approach of successive Manipur Governments had often resulted in disastrous ramification in the past, and this should not be allowed to unfold again. The new government of Manipur also should retrospect on what successive Manipur Governments had done to earn the trust of the Nagas in the State. The most misleading rhetoric of the previous Manipur Governments was the continuous parroting of “communal harmony” when it really ignored the chord that promotes the same. The rhetoric was the standard smokescreen of successive Governments’ policy of pitting one section against another to serve its own interest over the years. Since peculiarities and odd situations are not anomalies in Manipur, and since they have come to define the State today, surprises are no longer ‘shockers’. However, even then, keen observers continue to keep their fingers crossed as to how things may turn out with the new Manipur Government tackling to address the ongoing economic blockade with the UNC-backed NPF in the government. There have been loads of criticism on social media against the NPF joining the Biren Singh Government. However, it is immature and improper to hurl any criticism at the NPF at this stage. Manipur is a peculiar state, and on occasions one needs peculiar strategies in addressing issues. The NPF's principal stand is on the Naga political issue. Given this picture, one can feel the kind of uncomfortable level the coalition partners must be experiencing with NPF in a state like Manipur. On the one side, the level of uneasiness must also be scaling high for NPF given the background of Chief Minister N Biren Singh. He joined politics in the height of unrest in Manipur after the so called ‘Bangkok Agreement/Declaration’ where the Government of India and the NSCN-IM announced the ceasefire without territorial limits on June 14, 2001. Nongthombam Biren Singh resigned as the editor of Naharolgi Thoudang daily newspaper and contested the Manipur Assembly election on Democratic Revolutionary People’s Party (DRPP), the party which main objective was to protect the Manipur territory. It is pertinent to note here that Nongthombam Biren was jailed in the year 2000 for publishing in his newspaper a statement of Iboyaima Singh who was fondly called the “Father of Social Work”. That “seditious and anti-national” statement of Iboyaima allegedly encouraged and justified the campaigns of Meitei armed groups. Whatever is the background of the Chief Minister and political configuration, a prudent intervention of wisdom and maturity is imperative if problems in Manipur are to be resolved.