Choosing one from 10 : Outer PC election
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: April 09 , 2014 -

Kim Gangte C Doungel Charenamei Lien Gangte Prof Kamei Thangso Baite Soso Lorho Khamchinpau Lamlalmoi Amarson S

Mind you, it is not a lucky draw

This is not a lucky draw. Definitely not ‘your next lucky number is...’

An all important point which the voters in the Outer Parliamentary Constituency should keep in mind while hitting the button on the Electronic Voting Machine.

It is a choice that one has to make judiciously and not leave it to luck or chance.

Today the Outer Parliamentary Constituency will go to polls and decide the fate of the ten candidates who are in the fray.

It would not be fair to say who are the serious contenders, for all of them have thrown their hats into the electoral ring with a vision in mind and of course dollops of promises but this should not mean that the voters should not question the credentials, the ability, the sincerity, the integrity as well as the ideology of the political organisations which have fielded the ten candidates.

It is with a purpose in mind that The Sangai Express has been repeating three slogans all these days and that is to inform the readers and public about their responsibilities as citizens of the largest democracy in the world.

It is a given that democracy is not only about election, but then it is the axis on which the principles and ideals of democracy revolve around.

To be sure there will be money and muscle power aplenty this time and the responsibility of instilling a sense of security amongst the public lies with the law enforcing agencies as well as the office of the Chief Electoral Officer and the Election Commission of India.

Already there are reports galore of threats and diktats imposed on the people on who to vote for and however strongly these reports may be denied there are bound to be grains of truth in all the reports and information that have come to the media houses.

A concern which has already been voiced in this column earlier.

How the State agencies manage to neutralise the non-State actors, whose diktats and writs run large in their areas of operation remains to be seen but no stone should be left unturned to ensure that the voters are given the opportunity to vote without fear of reprisal.

Or maybe this may be asking for too much, if the past is any indication, especially in the hill areas of Manipur.

In the run up to the election, the people have witnessed and heard about the verbal duel between political parties especially between the Congress and NPF in the Outer Parliamentary Constituency.

No meaningful debates but all lung power but sometimes laced with witticism and sarcasm that must have gone down well with the voters.

To a certain extent it was only the BJP and its candidate, Prof Gangmumei Kamei, which maintained a dignified silence and went about with the campaigning, selling its ideas and promises to the others.

This much may be credited to the BJP, particularly Prof Gangmumei Kamei.

However it is a different matter in the Inner Parliamentary Constituency where the BJP and the Congress have been taking pot shots at each other at every opportunity.

The die has been cast and even as the voters in the Outer Parliamentary Constituency line up to punch the button on the EVMs the voters need to keep certain things in mind.

Should they allow muscle power, read gun power, to decide their future, at least for the next five years ?

Election is not only about making a choice and choosing one candidate over the others, but is also about deciding the future.

And so it should stand that before the voters push the button, pause, think a minute with the mind set on the coming next five years and then make up their mind.

Manipur may get to send only two representatives to the Lok Sabha, but in the changing political equation, where the days of one party rule is passe’ each representative will count.

This also means that each vote counts.

Time for the people to come face to face with the reality that election is not only a test for the candidates but also a test for the voters.