CM's barb on Imphal centric tribal MLAs
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: December 02, 2021 -

LIKE it or not, there seems to be some substance in chief minister N Biren's commentary during the political conference held at Noney town on Tuesday that legislators elected from assembly constituencies in the hills mostly remain confined in imphal after winning the election, only to value their electorates at the fag of their five-year term.

Without much difference regardless of valley or hills, it has been a tradition for the MLAs to remember the public's worth during election times as could be comprehended from intensification of black-topping of roads, laying of water pipes and constructing structures of public utility either in the first year after election or few months from schedules of fresh polls.

Thus, even though it is obvious that CM's tirades were targeted at the opposition MLAs, such a scathing statement should prod the conscience of those individuals who generally play the hill-valley developmental gap card in every election.

Even if his appeal to the people of hill districts to wisely exercise their democratic rights does not have the desired effect, the fact remains that Imphal is one of the preferred places of settlement for almost all the legislators, be they elected from the hill or valley assembly segments.

As Imphal is the administrative hub of the state, it is but natural for the elected people's representatives to opt for staying in the capital after winning the elections, and given the opportunity and resources seek permanent settlement as is evident from maximum numbers of MLAs and MPs acquiring land plot and settling in Imphal and Greater Imphal areas.

A glance at the palatial buildings in tribal-populated areas in the twin capital districts stands testimony that not all the representatives are keen to mitigate hardships besetting the hill people.

Unlike other public figures, who generally skirt issues that might be outrageous to certain sections of the society, chief minister Biren has delivered a bold statement by urging the people of the hills not to vote for candidates who are likely to move to Imphal after the polls and stay there for the next 5 years accumulating personal wealth and property.

For decades, almost all the representatives of the hill people have been holding successive governments as valley-centric and contending that funds earmarked for development in the hill areas are diverted for projects in the plains.

However, this notion was negated to some extent when the white paper recently put in the public domain by the BJP-led government corroborated that over 40 per cent of the state's cumulative developmental fund has been allocated for the hills, where the total population is only about 30 per cent.

There have also been frequent irrational contentions that funds ought to be distributed on the basis of geographical size unmindful of the universal practice that infrastructure development projects and welfare schemes are meant for the people and not for the uninhabited deserts, forests and oceans.

Nevertheless, with the election momentum getting intense, the CM's remarks aimed at spurring the electors to choose BJP nominees would be fiercely opposed as it has been a trend for elected as well as aspiring people's representatives to try create divisions on ethnic lines to win elections.