Up in flames since May of 2023 Questions for 2027
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Went up in flames in the evening of May 3, 2023 and since then Manipur has seen it all. A spell of President’s Rule, a change in leadership, bloodbaths-the thought of which continue to send chills down the spine of anyone but has things changed ? More than evident that Delhi and Imphal are still groping in the dark on how to deal with the situation but what is clear is thousands continue to survive in relief centres, no Meitei can still go by road from Imphal to Dimapur or Guwahati crossing Kangpokpi and now no Naga will dare to take this route. Yes some Kukis have been treated at RIMS, but under heavy security arrangements and many Kukis still do not feel safe and secure to return to the place they once called home at Imphal or in any other places in the valley districts. In short, despite the efforts taken up by Imphal, normalcy is still a far cry and for a place that has been ‘allowed’ to be buffered for over three years, it is only natural that people start questioning whether a change in the party forming the next Government is the answer. And it is along this line that one sees a ‘rejuvenated’ Congress beginning to pull up its socks, conveying the message that 2027 will be vastly different from the poll outcome of 2022. And the Congress has reasons to feel upbeat. The outcome of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where both its candidates comfortably romped home, is a case in point and the Congress must have picked up some valuable points from this election. However it stands that 2027 will be vastly different from 2024 and it remains to be seen what formula the BJP rolls out to capture the confidence of the people, but Manipur would surely not forget what has been happening here since the evening of May 3, 2023. It is not merely the ongoing violence that will impact on the voting behaviour of the people but the perception of where Manipur actually stands in the eyes of Delhi. Popular Government re-installed after three months of President’s Rule, but there are certainly some questions people are bound to raise when election time comes and one wonders what answer the BJP would have. More than five months since the popularly elected Government was ‘allowed’ to resume office, and the question is why the Council of Ministers has still not been expanded, even now. Is it a case of the Chief Minister still undecided on who should be inducted in the Ministry or a question of Delhi still not giving the green signal. If the latter is the case, then isn’t it the discretion of the Chief Minister to decide who should be inducted in the Ministry and follow this up with the expansion ? Can one expect an honest answer from the State Government ? Whatever the case, it stands that the failure to expand the Ministry even after more than five months of Government formation is something that will be picked by the Congress and with good effect. Moreover questions may also be raised on who decided who should be appointed to the office of the Chief Secretary and the DGP. Questions which can prove to be uncomfortable for the BJP led Government, but unavoidable if and when this is raised. Expect the Congress to raise this.
Given the present reality, a reality that dates back to May of 2023, the Congress seems to have all the right ammos to fire at the BJP led Government, but the interesting question would also be to ask the Congress what steps it can or may take up to resolve the conflict situation. This is a question which should ideally come from the voters. Has the Congress worked out a plan to open the highway to all sections of the people ? Again a question which the voters would do well to raise. Whichever party comes to power after the 2027 Assembly election is certainly not the concern of The Sangai Express but time for the voters to start raising the right questions before any candidate or any political party. As the party in power, it is expected for most of the questions to be directed at the BJP, but it is right too for the people to raise the pertinent questions to all the candidates as well as to all the political parties. As the Big Two, it is only right that issues which are pertinent to the people should be given due primacy and knowing whether due importance has been given to such issues lie with the questions that the voters ought to raise before all the candidates and the respective political parties, at the opportune moment. Time also right for the people to draw up the list of things they want to be addressed and place them before all the candidates and see how they respond to them and accordingly vote.
Given the present reality, a reality that dates back to May of 2023, the Congress seems to have all the right ammos to fire at the BJP led Government, but the interesting question would also be to ask the Congress what steps it can or may take up to resolve the conflict situation. This is a question which should ideally come from the voters. Has the Congress worked out a plan to open the highway to all sections of the people ? Again a question which the voters would do well to raise. Whichever party comes to power after the 2027 Assembly election is certainly not the concern of The Sangai Express but time for the voters to start raising the right questions before any candidate or any political party. As the party in power, it is expected for most of the questions to be directed at the BJP, but it is right too for the people to raise the pertinent questions to all the candidates as well as to all the political parties. As the Big Two, it is only right that issues which are pertinent to the people should be given due primacy and knowing whether due importance has been given to such issues lie with the questions that the voters ought to raise before all the candidates and the respective political parties, at the opportune moment. Time also right for the people to draw up the list of things they want to be addressed and place them before all the candidates and see how they respond to them and accordingly vote.