Witoubou Newmai The Mizoram People’s Forum (MPF), a church-sponsored election watchdog, has become one of the loudest expressions and paragon of formidable against corruption in our times. The watchdog’s influence and relevance continue to soar ever since its formation in 2006. As exemplary stories of its activities during election times emanate from Mizoram, interests on the works of the MPF have also grown and it necessitates a closer study. The MPF is an election watchdog was formed by the Mizoram Presbyterian Church Synod, the largest Christian denomination in Mizoram. Apart from the Presbyterian Church, around six major churches in Mizoram excluding the Baptist Church of Mizoram are the members of MPF. The Forum also works with major organisations including the Mizoram Upa Pawl (MUP) or the Elders’ Association of Mizoram, the Young Mizo Association (YMA) and the Mizo Hmeichhe Insuihkhawm Pawl (MHIP) or the Federation of Women Organisations. Coming to the ensuing polls, this time, too, the MPF and the political parties participating in the elections have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which serves as guidelines for the political parties and candidates during the elections. In this way, the political parties give legitimacy to the MPF. Unlike the past elections, this time the MPF allows the candidates or political party leaders for the “house-to-house campaign” which was not the case in the past elections. A candidate can have a “house-to-house campaign” with a condition that at least one member of MPF accompanies the candidate. Some of the guidelines or points of MoU include the prohibition of - hosting community feast, road shows and entertainment programmes. No political party can field an alcoholic person as a candidate. Further, the guidelines stipulate that the candidates should agree to participate in the joint-podium/platform events organized by the MPF where they can present speeches, vision and take questions from the public. In one of the assembly elections in the past, Shantanu Nandan Sharma had reported in The Economic Times that, “In the run-up to the Assembly elections in five states, the Election Commission of India (ECI) of India can somewhat relax at least in one - Mizoram. Not because it has mere 40 seats unlike 231 in Madhya Pradesh or 200 in Rajasthan... The state (Mizoram) bordering Bangladesh and Myanmar has proved to be an island of peace within the turbulent Northeast India. The legitimacy to this civil society venture is given by none other than the political parties in the fray...” Now, the nub of the issue is, when the MPF's campaigns for “free and fair” elections in Mizoram have been yielding, why such campaigns elsewhere by different groups including the Church failed to strike a chord?
