The Cauldron of election and the failure of Suspension of operations

Gogou Hangshing *

Kuki National Front (KNF) arms deposition to GOI under SoO in Sept 2010 :: Pix - Leivon Jimmy Lamkang

Saitu Constituency of Manipur is volatile and peculiar as it is renowned for its Pre-Poll and Post-Poll violence. Threats, use of arms and ammunition, the summoning of Village chief and utilizing the existing Kuki customary oath/swearing by forcibly letting the chief consume the liver and the heart of an animal as an oath to vote for a particular candidate and sometimes even to the extent of eliminating one another.

The constituency is ridden and best known for Clannism, Violence, Discrimination, Corruption, malpractice and capturing of election booths at its best. It was during the by-poll election 2020 when people gets wind of the name Dr Lamtinthang Haokip and the slogan "Youth For Change" and "Saitu For Change" yet it wasn't very common for a young educated individual to fight for an assembly seat.

It was the start of a new political era in the whole state of Manipur, assumably a person fighting for an assembly seat is largely a government retired servant or a millionaire, he wasn't either of the two. A fledgling in politics Dr Lamtinthang spends most of his days in the state capital studying and working as a student activist.

He wasn't aware of how elections were done in this part of the country since the democratic pieces spoken and written in the books were just an inapplicable utopian philosophy.

The involvement of Suspension of Operations (SoO) Cadres during the Saitu by-poll election 2020, threatening and even blank firing to disrupt the Public Meeting of Dr Lamtinthang Haokip at Kangchup where the incident is only a few hundred meters away from the Assam Rifle Camp was very unfortunate.

Was it paving a way for a Wild West in this part of the state?

The Kuki-Chin Separatist which is under the Suspension of Operations (SoO) with the govt. Are grouped under two umbrellas, the Kuki National Organization (KNO) and The United People's Front (UPF), as per the agreement they've been rehabilitated and compensated and they aren't to engage in any unlawful/Illegal activities, they are complied to be at their respective designated camps.

To what extent is this true and is the Joint Monitoring Group (JMG) keeping a tap on the SoO signatories?

There are no proper functioning Schools and Colleges in the hill area of Manipur, it is an extremely important factor that leads to the flourishing of armed groups, a backward mentality that's not compatible with modern society and easily manipulated by educated dropouts.

It has led to the high rise of un-bothered individuals, particularly the youths, who refuse to partake in any political events thereby forfeiting their rights to bring change and their precious voices becomes un-utilised. While some sells their votes for a quick cash, some opt to vote in favours of their respective clans, never realising that they themselves are easily manipulated.

As I scrolled through the social sites I came across a writing saying "Destroying any nation does not require the use of atomic bombs or the use of long-range missiles. It only requires lowering the quality of education and allowing cheating in the examinations by the students." It does make sense.

The involvement of SoO groups and their cadres in elections is not a new thing, It has become a trend in the hill area of Manipur. The Separatists who pompously spread hollow propaganda of Greater Autonomy and separate state to their fellow innocent tribals sat at a table with the government and they are supposed to be rehabilitated at their designated camps yet they've become a mere pawns in the hands of the ruling party.

Terrorizing and intimidating the innocent tribal people to vote in favour of the party at the centre has become a norm in the State and Parliamentary elections in the state of Manipur. If Suspension of Operations with the Kuki-Chin Separatist doesn't eradicate from the activities of the Pre-SoO period what does Suspension of Operations signify?

Is it just a media stunt for the ruling government? And if at all, the illegal activities aren't ceased immediately. Wiith providing their monthly stipend and rehabilitating them at the expense of the public, what message did it conveyed. The Government should strictly monitor the SoO signatories whether they are at their respective camps and those who are on leaves on grounds of health and other problems.

To ensure adult franchise of one person one vote and free and fair election in the "Active-insurgency" area the Election Commission of India should uphold its constitutional mandate and Article 21, of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948.

The people in the state especially the tribal people are curious to know what steps have been taken up for these SoO cadres registered with the government to confine them in their respective camps and what should be done with the groups that are yet to come to the table with the government?

It's an extremely perplexed situation where the groups under Suspension of Operations and the separatist group that doesn't welcome the talk with the government openly threatened, Harassed and roam freely or is the government running a failed state? What must be done for the people to trust the government and its rule of law?

It's worth asking the state and the central government, aren't they aware of the volatile situation of elections in the hill area of Manipur? Are they just waiting to see how it pans out?

If that's how the political leaders speculated, What about the executive head of the state, the Governor?

Wasn't he aware of the involvement of cadres under Suspension of Operations threatening, intimidating and summoning of village chiefs for the upcoming state election?

Or is it solely my fault to say there's a yolk inside an egg?