By Rabindra Nath Sinha
KOLKATA: Strife-torn Manipur, which remains under heightened security, has in recent times been witness to a political drama of sorts when 21 MLAs of the ruling NDA side led by the Bharatiya Janata Party sent a memorandum to Union home minister Amit Shah urging him to facilitate restoration of a popular ministry in the state which is under President’s rule since February 13 with the Assembly under suspended animation.
These actions of the Union government followed resignation of BJP’s chief minister N Biren Singh on February 9 by when he had lost the confidence of the BJP high command for all practical purposes, Shah was calling the shots from New Delhi, particularly in the Kuki-Zos-inhabited hills areas. Biren had to be content with overseeing the “administration minus law and order” in the Meiteis-inhabited Valley.
From the documents available with IPA it is seen that the memorandum bearing the signature of MLAs had been finalized on April 10, but apparently it had been sent to the home ministry much later; for the ministry’s stamped acknowledgement of receipt is dated April 29. The burden of their song is : There is a strong apprehension among the people that violence may recur ; many civil society organisations (CSOs) have come out openly against the imposition of President’s rule. CSOs are organising meetings in which “they are instigating the general public and blaming the ruling [side] MLAs for not staking claim to form a popular government and [not] fixing responsibility for imposition of President’s rule in Manipur”.
On the face of it, the legislators have vented their concerns and sought a popular ministry by reactivating the Assembly. There is nothing improper. And yet, their action has been described as “a political drama” by the Congress, which now has five members in the Assembly and which had ruled the state for a fairly long time before the 2022 Assembly elections when Biren had defected from the Congress to join BJP. In the words of Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee president K Meghchandra Singh, political etiquette demanded that as the state is under President’s rule the legislators should have taken up the matter with Governor Ajay Bhalla and given necessary evidence to prove their demand had the backing of a majority of MLAs of the 60-member House.
By bypassing the Governor and approaching Shah, they have also created scope for interpretation and misinterpretation of their action. Biren is not one of the signatories ; neither is Rajkumar Imo Singh, MLA from Sagolband constituency in Imphal West district and being the son-in-law of Biren, heis considered politically influential. So, either Biren is behind the move or it may be that the signatory MLAs, being aware of the “strained relations” between Biren and Shah, want someone else as leader of the BJP legislature party [the BJP central leadership can easily accommodate Biren in Rajya Sabha ; in fact, there was speculation to that effect when for days together the party’s Manipur in-charge and national spokesperson Sambit Patra tried to find a replacement for Biren Singh and install a ministry ; but failed in his mission].
Congress MLA Th Lokeshwar Singh also told IPA that it was nothing but a drama and ‘’our assessment is that BJP’s MLAs are sharply divided over the issue of a new legislature party leader”.
PCC chief Meghchandra told IPA that the petitioners, who had promised to work with dedication and devotion for the cause of peace in the state, had trifled with parliamentary democracy by ignoring the office of Governor; in fact their seriousness is questionable. Popular rule is always welcome in a parliamentary democracy ; but the situation in Manipur remains grave with the over 60,000 people still forced to a miserable living in relief camps. Yes, cross-firing has stopped but free movement is yet elusive, he added.
Interestingly, the signatories also include reportedly three MLAs, out of the total of six of Meghalaya’s Conrad Sangma-led National Peoples’ Party (NPP), although Sangma withdrew support to then Biren-led ministry on Sunday, November 17, 2024 contending that NPP was unhappy about the state of affairs in Manipur. Asked about this, NPP’s Manipur state unit president Yumnam Joykumar Singh, a former DGP of the state, told IPA he was not taking cognisance of those MLA’s action right now as a popular ministry formation is out of question. If and when needed “I will speak to them”, Joykumar added.
Ministry-making may be out of question right now but the idea is being floated ; may be “for some reasons, with some calculations”. Only on Sunday, May 11, BJP’s Rajya Sabha member from Manipur Leishemba Sanajaoba expressed the hope that a popular ministry may be installed within a couple of months. Sanajaoba’s public statement noted : “ We have placed personal ambition above the state’s interests”. It all happened because we prioritized power and self-interest over Manipur’s welfare.
In what may be termed aa very recent development, Manipur’s minder Patra visited the state on Monday, May 5and met representatives of the two warring sides – the Meiteis and the Kuki-Zos. Important Meitei leaders included, among others, Biren and Speaker Thockchom Satyabrata Singh. The most notable leader from the other side was present of Zomi Council Vumsuan Naulak. It appears ministry-making was certainly not a major talking point.
At the moment, Manipur Assembly has 59 MLAs ; after one member – N Kayisii– of NPP, which had seven members, passed away on January 18. Which means NPP now has six MLAs. Janata Dal (United) had six MLAs, five of whom had defected to BJP raising BJP’s strength to 37 from 32. Kuki People’s Alliance which had two MLAs withdrew support to the ministry in August 2023. Naga Peoples’ Front (NPF) has five members. There are three Independents. So, in the House BJP has support of 46 members – 32 of its own, five of JD(U) defectors, one of JD(U), five of NPF and three Independents. (IPA Service)
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