Dr George T Haokip: Gandhian and saver of democracy

Lunkholal *

Dr George T Haokip - an intending candidate for 59-Saikot Constituency

Another festival of democracy is round the air and here in Manipur hill districts many expect changes and reform to happen this time as most intending are youth, vibrant and educated.

While many new and young intending candidates are coming up, hope and expectation are high ever than before. One such is Dr George T Haokip popularly know as 'Icon of the common man". He is an intending candidate for 59-Saikot Constituency well prepare to fight with a veterian Congress man.

While I visited part of this constituency as party of my social research project, people support and appreciation for him is azingly high. He is more popular among the poors and common people for his gandhian approach.

I being an employee cannot involved in political election, yet I see Dr George heralds a new era in democracy and representative governance. For the past 30 years this constituency was deprived of democratic forms of governance, where their representative was selected rather than elected. Dr. George can be termed the saver of democracy in this remote constituency away from the glare of press.

He personally visited more than 300 villages, cared for the poor and the addicted. He distributed rice and clothing bought from his pocket during the two years Covid pandemic. He visioned equal growth in his constituency and Manipur. His approach is Gandhian and he fights the system with stakeholders.

Dr George T Haokip - an intending candidate for 59-Saikot Constituency

The phrase “Ching-Tam amatani will be fulfilled only when Hills and Valley people have equal growth”.

He spread his vision by conducting the so called Dandi March by visiting more than 300 remote villages within Saikot constituency. He aims to break stereotypical system of election method in his constituency by encouraging voter participation, including me.

He is a reformer by nature. He stood by the farmers and downtrodden people. Ever since I got my electoral identity card, I have not voted for any candidates for the past 30 years as it was considered dirty to even vote because politics was played by people with ill intention. This general election I am firmly convinced that my single can make a change or break.

There was no real development in sight, the intentions of the candidates were very clear before us. The general thoughts especially politician was that being elected as representatives was just like getting a high-profile job with all facilities attached.

Elected representatives are supposed to see a hundred miles if not thousands into the future, yet these so-called politicians see the government only as money minting machine. With the coming of new and educated youngsters, there is hope at the end of the tunnel.