Sword Vashum
Very disturbing situation is fast engulfing Manipur pointing clearly to uncontrolled accentuation of the Valley’s Hegemony over the Hills (Tribals). On the façade, we have a rule-based democratic governance as mandated under the constitution. However what is unmistakably visible on the ground is a 21st century version of Colonial Rule foisted on the tribals of Manipur. Is this a story cooked up - that the tribals have gone hugely underrepresented in the Legislature ever since the statehood; our due share of Resources have been looted; our jobs have been grabbed; our lands/forests have been hacked off and snatched away??? Without further ado, I take you straight to certain glaring Fault lines that self-speak of how the valley’s hegemony over the hills builds up.
1. Whether one likes it or not, the plain & simple truth that should ordinarily find place on the table (in the context of Manipur) as guiding principle of public governance is twofold (a) Land, 90% of which belongs to the tribals. (b) Population, 45% of whom are the tribals. Democratic public governance in Manipur must therefore take upon itself the task of securing justice, equity and fairness to tribals in proportion to their geographical size and the size of their population. Besides, in all fairness, the fact that tribals took off the ground as underdogs is, in itself deserving of extra weightage. But for the facts cited above, the existence of Manipur in her present structure would not have been possible. Though of absolute relevance to all that go into making Manipur that showcases “Co-existence” comprising the meeteis and the tribals , yet in reality tribals are pushed onto peripheral with no say whatsoever in the matter of resource allocations and utilizations, so much so, ratio of resource allocation between the valley and the hills stands in the ratio of 80:20.
2. The hub of state administration is the state secretariat which now stands converted into valley secretariat manned almost entirely by people of the valley. This is so despite statutory arrangement put in place since the statehood wherein 33% of govt. jobs (department wise, cadre wise) are reserved for the tribals. Common sense would tell us that tribal quota should have been revised to 45% corresponding to increase in tribal population which now stands at 45%. Far from it, a huge backlog of vacancies reserved for tribals based on 33% formula has run into 10000 +. Is the intent of Manipur govt. designed to have the employment policy and its structure pegged to whimsical and arbitrary decisions of the valley controlled administration??? What have the tribal MLA/MP done & said on the matter in the face of huge unemployment facing tribal educated youths???
3. Power-sharing structure in any democratic governance must essentially reflect demographic & topographic realities of the state. How on earth, can anyone justify allotting 40 MLA to the valley which commands 2100 SQ KM(two thousand one hundred), and 1080000 (Ten lakh eighty thousand) electorate as against 20 MLA to the hills (including one reserved for SC) who command 20200 SQ KM of very difficult terrain (twenty thousand two hundred) and 7070000 (seven lakh seventy thousand) electorate??? This is typical of public governance controlled by political leadership that thrives on Goebbelian propaganda of never letting the people know the truth that they consider inconvenient or harmful to their agenda. However here, the relevant facts & figures are all well-known and therefore can never be abused if only the tribal leaderships (MLA & MP & Intellectuals) resolve to stand up to defend and uphold our legitimate Rights & Interests.
4. Given the position as mandated under Art 371(C), there is absolutely no justification for the State Govt. and the Hill Areas Committee (HAC), a constitutionally empowered Entity to waste half a century holding the Constitutional Mandate hostage to political Impotence. Where is the budget bifurcation - one for the general (valley) and the other for the hills under an omnibus budget?? What has become of the HAC’s functional autonomy?? Direct fallout of total Non-Compliance with Constitutional Mandate is public governance feeding itself on Arbitrariness, Corruption, Nepotism, Ad-hocism etc. For Solution?? Do we then turn to tribal leaders whose Smugness & Audacity readily tells us: “They are far from the TRUTH”??? Fool’s Paradise that we live in!!!
5. Systemic Failure deliberately cut & designed to perpetuate gross injustice of the kind referred to above and many more, thrives in a culture that symbolically but unfailingly depicts the perpetrators of injustices and the victims on the same page as being bonhomous.(Culture Subverted). A truly democratic governance would rest at peace on the strength of having delivered a just and equitable governance to the people, the weak & the poor in particular. They would have no reason to rush umpteen times to the Prime Minister for protection of Manipur territorial integrity. As we are aware, Constitution nowhere talks about territorial integrity of the states. Much on the contrary, the Constitution vide Arts 2 & 3 provides for changeability/alterability of the existing political boundaries of the state/states subject to Parliament passing the proposed bill for change by simple majority. Further, Proviso to Art 3 provides that the Legislature of the concerned state enjoys the benefit of being consulted but its opinion in whatever form, is at best advisory and is never binding on the Parliament. Therefore, there is no sanctity or authoritativeness attached to the states’ existing political boundaries.
Some of the burning issues as briefly touched upon above, are indeed worthy of honest response from Naga frontline political leaderships and intellectuals. Make no mistake, on our Response would hinge “Our Future” faced as it were with Challenges that seek to cripple our future and have us condemned to Oblivion.
In the first place, I would humbly ask of our frontline leaderships Ministers, MLA/MP to come upfront on your commitment to unequivocally take the call on defending our legitimate Rights/Interests – never ever to kow-tow to their dik-tats.
To our national workers particularly the top leaderships – you, having done so much to divest yourselves of everything national in pursuit of state’s Electoral Politics, your people are naturally anxious to know what exactly are the “Net Benefits” accruing to our people, otherwise left to suffer utter Deprivations & Humiliation to no end and most importantly to our National Interests??? But for your unflinching/unsparing efforts, most of our Naga MLA and the MP would not have gone to the positions where they are. Should they not therefore, be on the vanguard defending our legitimate Rights & Interests???
To our intellectuals, short is the time of our innings and is therefore, necessary to invest everything of ourselves in securing legacy that brings Honour & Strength to the upcoming generations. If we refuse to awaken ourselves to the ongoing Existential Crisis with legitimate response, days are not far off when we would ourselves see our own children and grandchildren held in bondage of Shame & Pain in our own land.
To the Church Leaderships – It is one thing to abound in God-gifted resources, but quite another to acquit ourselves as responsible, wise and strong Stewards of the resources. How are the Church Leaderships measuring themselves up to spectacles of open display of satanic powers of corrupt practices, brazen Misuse/Abuse of powers/responsibilities??? As a Christian society, the Onus is largely on Church Leaderships to prove yourselves stronger than the Corruption-driven challenges, failing which, our society falling apart is just a matter of time. Is this the Legacy the upcoming generations should look forward to as their due inheritance??? Thanking you all n God bless.
