A show that ends without showing up
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: May 10, 2012 -

Womenfolk anxiously waiting for the arrival of three women legislators at the reception :: Pix - Hueiyen Lanpao

It may be amusing at first, but outrageous on contemplation. That was the kind of response many women must have felt at the reception function for the three elected women legislators who failed to show up on May 8.

The reception function was hosted by Women in Governance, a networking body of women, in honour of the three elected women legislators, namely MLA of Patsoi A/C AK Mirabai, who has been subsequently inducted in the Council of Minister; MLA of Khangabok A/C O Landhoni, who has been elected to the Assembly for the second term and MLA of Kangpokpi A/C Nemcha Kipgen, who is making foray into the turmoil of Manipur politics for the first time.

From the accounts given by the organizers, the programme had been decided, the date and the venue fixed, and the invitation cards dispersed after due intimation. Accordingly, women from different parts of the state and from all walks of life came with gifts to convey their best wishes to the three women legislators.

Unfortunately, for whom all these elaborate arrangements were made, simply did not show up, throwing cold water over everything.

What is even more galling was the nonchalant attitude of one of the elected women legislators, whom the organizers could establish contact at last, who brushed aside by maintaining that there was no schedule of the reception function in her dairy.

Regardless of what some skeptics might say over hosting such reception functions for elected representatives, the fact still remains that representation of women in State Assembly had always remained low in the political history of the state and it was an occasion for joy and celebration for Manipuri women to have three women candidates elected for the first time.

The mammoth gathering of women at the reception function only goes to show not it was not just the level of high expectation generated from the election of three women legislators but much more.

It is amounts to 'a serious breach of trust', to borrow the phrase from one of the articles contributed and carried in this paper.

From the kind of wide media coverage given over the event, it is expected that the three elected women legislators would be coming up with their sides of the story.

But the question is, would there be any takers after the fragile bond has been snapped?

The relation between women candidates and electors in Manipur has been one of 'sour' rather than anything 'sweet'.

In spite of all the blames on the political parties for not giving sympathetic consideration over fair representation to the 'fairer candidates', the truth is that the defeat of women candidates in Manipur is more in the hands of their kinswomen who press the button of electronic voting machines more than their male counterparts.

But time and again, it has been seen that women voters simply distrust women candidates. Was it the same reciprocal mindset which was at work at the reception function?