By Rabindra Nath Sinha
KOLKATA: There is no let-up in ministry-making efforts on the part of BJP MLAs, who by themselves have a comfortable majority in the 60-member Manipur Assembly. Senior BJP MLAs, such as, Govindas and Biswajit are holding parleys with their supporters and other stakeholders. Speaker Satyabrata Singh is reportedly active behind the scene. BJP MLA Kh Ibomcha recently went on record saying that Manipur should have a popular ministry before long. More meetings of BJP MLAs, excepting seven who belong to the Kuki-Zo tribes, are likely, informed quarters told IPA.
While these are informal efforts at the level of BJP leaders, serious attempts are being made by the Union ministry of home affairs (MHA) to work out a truce between the warring sides, the Meiteis of the Valley and Kuki-Zos of the Hills, before a popular ministry assumes office. Manipur was placed under President’s rule on February 13 after former chief minister Biren Singh was left with no option but to resign on February 9 in the face of stiff opposition of the Kuki-Zo political outfits and their civil society organizations to his continuation in office.
President’s rule is always initially for six months, which period is to end on August 12. Inquiries by IPA from informed quarters suggest that MHA is keen on seeing that the trouble-torn state has a popular ministry before August 12 and thereby avoiding extension of president’s rule for another six months. Moreover, budget-related legislative steps too have to be initiated so that the state has the authority which derives from a regular budget for a full fiscal year. Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman followed the usual vote-on-account route for the initial spell of six months of President’s rule.
This issue has assumed urgency as requirements of additional funds have gone up substantially because of additional expenditure on the large security apparatus and large expenses that have to be incurred for arranging return to the original dwelling places of the 60,000 plus internally displaced persons. Then, there is a huge backlog of usual development works which could not be undertaken in the last two years after the outbreak of massive ethnic violence on May 3, 2023.
For MHA and its political master Amit Shah, who is in command for everything related to Manipur, it’s a tricky job on hand. A K Mishra advisor (north-east) in MHA, is scheduled to hold soon the second round of talks with what has come to be known as the Suspension of Operations (SoO) groups to straighten out matters relating to the number and location of camps for Kuki-Zo militants coming under the purview of the SoO arrangement. A satisfactory conclusion of talks, it is believed in political quarters, will help lessen tensions and animosity between the Meiteis and the Kuki-Zos which, in turn, will have a positive impact on the overall law and order situation. MHA’s multi-pronged exercise to make the situation conducive for a popular ministry to assume office also includes serious involvement of civil society organizations in parleys being regularly held, senior BJP leader and MLA Ibomcha told IPA.
Political considerations are also weighing with the home minister. Assembly elections in Assam, the largest among the eight north-eastern states, are due between March and April next. Also, during the same period Assembly elections will be due in West Bengal, where BJP’s efforts to have its maiden ministry have been coming a cropper. Restoration of normalcy in Manipur, therefore, has political significance for BJP. Failure on this count will give the Opposition a handle to target BJP, in general and Amit Shah, in particular during the campaign phase in Assam and West Bengal.
It is not an easy job for the BJP central leadership to identify a face who will be acceptable as chief minister also to the Kuki-Zo communities. The domination of the Meiteis in the administration and the resultant conspicuous under-representation in governance of the Kuki-Zo personnel has remained a sore point with them for a long time. They hold Biren Singh responsible for manoeuvering an overwhelming role in the administration of the majoritarian Meitei community. Also, the immediate past chief minister has been scathing in his attack against the Kuki-Zos about whom his position is that a large number of them are illegal immigrants from Myanmar and Bangladesh and that they have been regularly indulging in clandestine activity.
Amit Shah’s prime responsibility, therefore, is to ensure participation of the Kuki-Zo communities in the new ministry. Going by the ground realities it is clear that even if they agree to join the ministry they will not give up their demand for a separate administration in a format that is constitutionally admissible. Political watchers told IPA that nothing can bar the Kuki-Zos from pursuing their demand while being participants in the ministry. The aim, after all, is to put in place an inclusive ministry, to start with.
There are whispers in political quarters that if Amit Shah succeeds in sewing up a deal for ministry formation, he may spring a surprise by arranging a visit to the state by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A date for Modi’s visit will hinge on when a ministry is sworn in before the conclusion of six months of President’s rule on August 12. Commencement of the monsoon session of Parliament will also have to be considered for fixing a date for the Prime minister’s visit. Modi, it is common knowledge, has been relentlessly targeted by the Opposition for not bothering to visit the crisis-ridden state all these months. (IPA Service)
