The Congress' landslide victory of 42 seats in the house of 60 in Manipur was a foregone conclusion although many still think it was a surprise. Most post poll surveys predicted a hung house with the ruling Congress emerging the single largest party. The cynicism in the State being what it is, nobody thought a clear mandate was a possibility. But there is another way of looking at the Congress landslide. It still is an expression of cynicism in the sense that the voters stopped expecting a change for the better but were desperate to have things not slip any further.
The issues
The outgoing Congress-headed government, as many noted, inspired only anger and indignation. There would not be one in the State who has not complained in exasperation about the rampant official corruption, or not thrown up his arms in helpless bewilderment at having to do with two hours of electricity a day, or not cursed the government for the water taps that have run dry, or for the crumbling roads everywhere. There would, likewise, be a few who have not shown a clenched fist at the government for the continued imposition of the draconian Armed Forces Special Powers Act, AFSPA, for the repeal of which Irom Sharmila has been on an epic hunger strike for nearly 12 years now. Further, abject lack of governance has allowed the law and order to slip away almost completely. The periodic prolonged blockades on the State's lifelines with the government looking the other way even as prices of essential commodities rise to the sky, meant untold misery, uncertainty and insecurity for the common man. Yet, Manipur came out and voted resoundingly to bring back the government it hated.
The explanation is, the Manipur results were not so much about the Congress winning. It was more about non-Congress parties losing. In a hypothetical situation, had the people been given another choice of, say, a spell of President's Rule, the landslide verdict of Manipur voters would probably have gone in favour of the latter.
During the last Congress tenure in power with Chief Minister Okram Ibobi at the helm, almost all other political parties in the State were, either voluntarily or else by compulsion, on a path of self destruction. On most of the issues these parties were deafeningly silent. Many of their legislators hung around and nagged ministers for favours. In the run-up to the election, many of them queued up for Congress tickets. In summary, they reduced themselves to subservient allies of the ruling party. At least one party, the Communist Party of India (CPI) remained a formal partner in the State government, even after the party broke alliance with the Congress at the Centre. The opposition space in the Assembly was thus abdicated. This is the vacuum just right for a shrill and pushy party with a charismatic leader like the Trinamool Congress to enter. The party fielded 47 candidates and won seven, commendable for a newcomer. Had it entered the stage earlier, it probably would have done much better. All other parties, depleted in morale and commitment, ended up unable to set up candidates in even half the Assembly constituencies. Many including the CPI and Manipur People's Party (MPP) drew a blank.
Desperately trying to remain relevant, four of these parties urgently formed a pre-poll alliance, the People's Democratic Front (PDF) but this proved too little too late, despite the alliance attracting seven more parties at a later stage. The PDF partners also probably did not consider the thought that the Anti-Defection Law had lowered the ceiling on cabinet size — 12 including the Chief Minister in the case of Manipur, and therefore a coalition of more than two parties is likely to become strained as the only proven incentive of such coalitions is ministerial berths. The PDF hence did not present a picture of stability capable of instilling confidence to the badly fractured and shaken electorate of Manipur. The ruling Congress on the other hand was strong, resourceful, and because of its strength, able to posture as a non-partisan party, reaching out to the valley as well as the hills, and to all ethnic groups, setting up candidates in all the 60 constituencies, campaigning with the confidence of winners. It won seats from among all communities and regions too.
Those who concluded the Congress was not loved in Manipur in predictions before the results were probably correct. What they did not see was the second factor that this was the only party left seen as capable of providing the sinews to hold the badly divided state together. The party's victory was preordained, not by its virtues but by the absence of a credible adversary. Manipur's choice of the Congress was because it had no other choice.
(Pradip Phanjoubam is a senior journalist based in Manipur. Email: phanjoubam@gmail.com)
Very rightly this article has pointed out the lack of credible adversary to the Congress
party. However, by putting the Congress party back into power, the people of Manipur
have send an explicit message to the insurgent groups that people want peace, progress
and development. Despite violent bombings and warning against the Congress party by
CORCOM, people gave landslide victory to the Congress party. So the insurgent groups,
on moral ground, must abjure violence and initiate dialogue with the new Manipur Govt.
because people no longer support their violent activities. At the same time, it is the first
priority of the new govt. to bring the insurgent groups to the negotiating table. Because
these people who are ready to die for the motherland must be directed and involved
towards progressive developmental activities. Precisely, any party in power must bring
peace, harmony, faster, sustainable and more inclusive growth in Manipur.
There is an ideological vacuum in the country for congress-hate as
mentioned in this article. BJP, I am afraid, has not filled the vacuum
due to lack of credible leaders. TMC has done well in Manipur, but what
happens in national stage?
The beauty and serenity of manipur is ironical to its political arena,
people say that it is a hell out there, in 24 hours almost 16 hours
there is power cut, LPG cylinder costs around 3000 rupees and many
other social problems. There are 16 odd terrorist groups with no
proper agenda, only to extort money. Rather than holding election here
there must be president rule, and bringing some of the eminent
manipuri people in the fore front to solve this social unrest, else we
will be slowly loosing a beautiful, cultural and potentially talented
people's state. Unless and until people are made to realize their
duties towards their state, nobody can stop it from getting doomed by
political parities and their selfish agendas.
Who to blame for not having a vibrant opposition in the state that
stood consistently for the people digging out ills of the Congress
government and kept on criticizing the same for blockades,
unavailability of basic amenities, price rise, electricity, inability
to handle corruption by officials,AFSPA and so on? The opposition
parties particularly the MPP have destroyed themselves except for the
CPI. All the parties, indeed, were/are free-riders to whoever which
has money and power that let the TMC to enter in the state's politics
with a bang.
Yes, the Congress has to be blamed for high level of corruption at all
levels and ineffective governance, etc.But we shouldn't forget that it
is the same Congress which delivers regular payment of salaries to
lakhs of employees for the first time and its stand on the territorial
issue given its long stability in the state boost confidence among
Manipuris and hence decided to give a continuation stamp on it and
hence an edge over others.
we don't need any party . we need a representative who can speak loud in parliament. who can stand for the state to bring wealth and health state and to bring solution to crime and conflict between us .
A state which is in shredds due to communal divide and Without an economy of its own, its total dependence on the centres dole is what forced people to vote for it.
ON other hand people have also realised that a known devil is better then the one they haven't seen in full force as yet!!!
Therefore, AICC should not try to boast of this victory coz there simply wasnt any other choice available to the people........
AND top it all stage managed economic blockade of 4 months helped "The party" to make fool out of people. Actual test of the party starts now coz the SEASON for ANNUAL BLOCKADE is just round the CORNER ;-)
For healthy democracy a strong opposition is necessary which is lacking in many states so the people have no choice but to vote the nonworking main party. So there is no work in these states hence it is essential for the good people to play some role in politics to flush out non working politicians. Otherwise our country would have some dark future.
First Pranjal is no longer based in Manipur he is based in Assam. Douglas Adams put forward
the same thesis in his Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. My question for Pranjal-ji is then why did R K Anand, whom Pranjal's associate Babloo
Loitongbam appointed as Managing Trustee of Just Peace Foundation stand for Ibobi Singh's
regime after a stint in opposition. Pranjal in the past has described himself as part of the
movement which claims Irom Sharmila.
It is very important to have a vibrant Opposition for the
representative democracy to make any strides. The absence of this
specific ingredient along with not much media attention (at the All-
India level ) of the state issues has caused the ruling party to
dictate the terms. Helpless people have no choice left. Its a single
party democracy without responsibility !
What Pradip Phanjoubam writes is spot on. The situation in Manipur is like "In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is the king". We,the common people, have nothing to bother about which government is stepping in and which stepping out because there is no two-eyed man among them. History of Manipur government hasn't produced such a government that people would say "OH! THIS GOVERNMENT IS GOOD.WE ARE HAPPY THANKS TO THIS GOVERNTMENT". One government comes in and enables the ministers' families to lead happy lives. The next government comes in and follows the same trend. Election in Manipur is like people are choosing those persons whose families they want to live happily. People know no government would make any difference to their lives. We expect nothing from the government.
Perhaps this is why the 'right to reject' or 'none of the above' option
should be given. The people will at least have an option then. The power
hungry parties will do good if they do some work. If the people respond
by electing the good-for-nothing parties, it is a failure of democracy.
This verdict discloses the helplessness of democracy. Here the people have been held captive for the sake of holding their future together. They have wisely chosen that instead of letting a new coalition coming to power and start eating afresh into the resources and their money, the half-fill Congress may be better as something may be left for them. Problems such as militancy and extremism pop-up from such state of affairs as people will be desperate to vend out its vengeance. Clause-49-0 may help people cling onto the hopes of better rule and governance in states as such. A “None of the above” button shall be added to the Voting Machine to save the democracy and Indian Parliamentary System.
Excellent article. Every word is true and fair.
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