After crossing the three year mark Walking towards 2027
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Year 2026 is nearly midway through and when one talks about the years, it is with a sense of deep disappointment coupled with anger that Manipur looks back at the days since the evening of May 3, 2023. In over 1095 days, the Prime Minister has visited Manipur only once and that too for a ‘fleeting moment’ and probably it is from taking a cue from the stand maintained by the Prime Minister that a number of top BJP leaders at Delhi have preferred to toe the line, ‘ethnic clashes is not new in Manipur.’ But the reality is, far from the situation improving it has taken a turn for the worse. What was once a clash between the Meiteis and the Kukis, has today morphed into a situation, where the Nagas too have been dragged in by design or otherwise. A look back at the days since the evening of May 3, 2023 is intriguingly interesting. For nearly two years Delhi persisted with the then popularly elected Government and when there was nothing to show that things were improving at the ground reality, it decided to impose President’s Rule. So for the nth time Manipur came under PR, but there was nothing to show that things had improved. And after nearly a year of Central rule, a popular Government was installed with a new Chief Minister and two Deputy Chief Ministers, one from the Kuki tribe and the other from the Naga community. The balancing act however has not worked if one goes by what is actually happening, for two tribal groups are at loggerheads now, with six Naga men still on the missing list and 14 Kuki people supposedly in the custody of the Naga people. No prizes for what will happen in the next few days, but yet at the same time it stands that each passing day means that Manipur is taking one more step towards 2027, the year Assembly election is scheduled to be held here. And if the call of the BJP still stands then Manipur will obviously go to polls with the slogan ‘Congress Mukt’ still ringing out loud. The question is how effective this slogan would be when 2027 comes. Again no prizes for guessing. Or would the BJP have worked out a position for itself to give more teeth to its slogan when 2027 comes ? If so, then is it working on some magic formula to win over the people or whip out something fantastic to ensure that the saffron party returns to power ? Still too early to say which way the wind will blow, but the days since the evening of May 3, 2023 would not have put the saffron party in any favourable position, for the simple reason that indifference has not really helped anyone, more so a political party in power.
At the same time it is also interesting to note that the Congress does not seem to have worked out anything tangible to sell to the people. To be sure the Congress must be focused on how to come back to the imagination of the people, but at the moment, there is nothing much to suggest that certain significant points have been put into motion. The excellent showing put up by the Congress candidates in the Lok Sabha elections of 2024 must have started wearing off and it remains to be seen how the oldest political party manages to work its way into the heart and soul of the people. At the same time the Congress will have to stretch itself to show that everything is fine with the MPCC for the people today are not so gullible to miss any seeming strain that may appear. The big two, it probably will be when election time comes, but it should not be forgotten that the last three years have made the people, especially the youngsters, more politically conscious and how the different political parties go along with the awakening of the voters will go some way in deciding the fate of the different political parties. And the realisation of the reality means that people, especially the younger lot, have started looking beyond the two big National parties for a party with a local flavour. How this will actually impact on the polls when 2027 comes is a matter of speculation at the moment, but this is an important indication and how the big two grasp this reality will certainly go some way in impacting on the outcome of the polls which will be next year.
At the same time it is also interesting to note that the Congress does not seem to have worked out anything tangible to sell to the people. To be sure the Congress must be focused on how to come back to the imagination of the people, but at the moment, there is nothing much to suggest that certain significant points have been put into motion. The excellent showing put up by the Congress candidates in the Lok Sabha elections of 2024 must have started wearing off and it remains to be seen how the oldest political party manages to work its way into the heart and soul of the people. At the same time the Congress will have to stretch itself to show that everything is fine with the MPCC for the people today are not so gullible to miss any seeming strain that may appear. The big two, it probably will be when election time comes, but it should not be forgotten that the last three years have made the people, especially the youngsters, more politically conscious and how the different political parties go along with the awakening of the voters will go some way in deciding the fate of the different political parties. And the realisation of the reality means that people, especially the younger lot, have started looking beyond the two big National parties for a party with a local flavour. How this will actually impact on the polls when 2027 comes is a matter of speculation at the moment, but this is an important indication and how the big two grasp this reality will certainly go some way in impacting on the outcome of the polls which will be next year.