Steps towards restoring normalcy Burden of expectations
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One year is obviously too short a time for anyone to make a mark and this is where the burden of expectations can sit heavy on the shoulder of anyone, more so on a Chief Minister who has just assumed office. A reality which Y Khemchand cannot afford to overlook, assuming office as he has after nearly three years of the violence literally dividing Manipur into zones and more zones. For the moment, the few tentative steps that the new Chief Minister and his Council of Ministers have taken seems to be on the right track, perhaps best exemplified by the visit to Jiribam, the first by a Meitei Minister after May 3, 2023. The personal touch extended in getting ailing MLA Vungzagin Valte flown outside the State by a special flight is something that would have gone down well with the people on the side of Churachand-pur, somewhat similar to the gesture he demonstrated when he personally visited a relief centre opened for Kuki-Zo IDPs at Litan in Ukhrul district some time back. This was when President’s Rule was still in force in the State. It is along this line that the Chief Minister announced his plan to take the next Cabinet meeting to Senapati, with the additional and significant information that he would travel by road, meaning he would cross Kangpokpi town. To many Meiteis, National Highway-2-the route connecting Imphal to Dimapur passing through Kangpokpi-has been off limits since the evening of May 3, 2023 and the proposal of the Chief Minister can go a long way in breaking new ground. Perhaps something which Manipur really needs at this point of time. Next in line would perhaps be to study the possibility of holding another Cabinet meeting at Churachandpur, a sort of a repeat of the first Cabinet meeting held at a hill district headquarters after the BJP led Government first assumed office in 2017. How the new Government under the new Chief Minister manage to take these developments to the next level remains to be seen, but these are all steps to take Manipur closer to the understanding of normalcy. Therefore a move that should be welcomed. Next on the menu seems to be expansion of the Council of Ministers, with a meeting reportedly in line with Union Home Minister Amit Shah on February 22 at New Delhi. Once this comes to fruition, one can expect the expectations from the new Chief Minister to increase but then as noted how much can one do in a year, given that Manipur is still reeling under the clash that erupted in all its ugliness on May 3, 2023. Time, and this is perhaps where the irony may be said to lie, for while the Chief Minister has only a limited time to heal the damage inflicted for nearly three years, he also came at that time when Manipur looked forward to a new face and perhaps a new approach to walk the path of normalcy.
Rehabilitation of the displaced folks, completely re-opening the National Highways, ensuring free movement of all, may take time, but a beginning should be made. On this the Government seems to be taking the right steps and Manipur obviously does not expect a miracle to put everything right. A beginning, this is what Manipur needs and it is now up to the new Government to see how to take things forward. The recent, open announcement that the Government would ensure the safety of any Kuki-Zo people who visit Imphal for any medical treatment sounded right and this is what is expected from the Chief Minister of a State. It however stands true that keeping the door wide open may just not be enough for what is needed is to extend that hand to help others come in through the open door. And that hand can only be extended by the people of Imphal and the other areas in the valley districts. A gesture that should also be demonstrated by the Kuki-Zo people and one can only hope that the announcement of the Chief Minister is reciprocated by a similar announcement from one of the political leaders from the Kuki-Zo community, probably Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen. Khemchand has announced it, and it is only expected that a similar announcement should come from the Deputy Chief Minister. Manipur waits.
Rehabilitation of the displaced folks, completely re-opening the National Highways, ensuring free movement of all, may take time, but a beginning should be made. On this the Government seems to be taking the right steps and Manipur obviously does not expect a miracle to put everything right. A beginning, this is what Manipur needs and it is now up to the new Government to see how to take things forward. The recent, open announcement that the Government would ensure the safety of any Kuki-Zo people who visit Imphal for any medical treatment sounded right and this is what is expected from the Chief Minister of a State. It however stands true that keeping the door wide open may just not be enough for what is needed is to extend that hand to help others come in through the open door. And that hand can only be extended by the people of Imphal and the other areas in the valley districts. A gesture that should also be demonstrated by the Kuki-Zo people and one can only hope that the announcement of the Chief Minister is reciprocated by a similar announcement from one of the political leaders from the Kuki-Zo community, probably Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen. Khemchand has announced it, and it is only expected that a similar announcement should come from the Deputy Chief Minister. Manipur waits.