Litmus test for Delhi, Imphal
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: October 15, 2010 -

The arrest of RK Sanayaima alias Meghen, the undisputed leader of the oldest organisation to raise the banner of sovereignty in the North East, the United National Liberation Front (UNLF), from Bangladesh some- time in the earlier part of this month is bound to throw open a whole gamut of political questions, ranging from the mundane to the thought provoking.

This much we are sure but what we are not at all sure about are the circumstances leading to his arrest and whether he has been actually handed over to the Government of India or not. In Sheikh Hasina, Delhi has a co-operative ally and it wouldn't be surprising if the Chairman of the UNLF is handed over to the Indian Government sooner rather than later, unlike the case of ULFA key member, Anup Chetia, who was held in Bagladesh for years on end, despite the repeated approach by Delhi to extradict him to the country.

The diplomatic ties and relationships between the two countries have since undergone a sea change after Hasina came to power at Dhaka and one manifestation of this change, is the crackdown launched on the camps of the North East rebel groups set up in Bangladesh, forcing many of them to shift base to Myanmar, which has always had an ambivalent position on this issue.

This apart, the new development means putting through the litmus test the political maturity of both Delhi and Manipur. The status of Meghen as a captured leader, will perhaps be the first inkling of the political maturity of India and that is whether he is treated as a political prisoner or otherwise, meaning, a leader of a rag tag group of armed men, waging a battle against India and in the process, earning the tag of a terrorist !

The banner of sovereignty is not aimed or meant only for Delhi to see and digest but also involves the attention of the State Government. It is here that the political maturity of Chief Minister O Ibobi and his advisors, besides the Council of Ministers, will come under sharp scrutiny. The issue here does not mean a point of contention between only the outfit that Meghen leads and Delhi, but the State Government too is a stakeholder and there is no way it can shake off its responsibilities and feign ignorance.

By now, we are more than sure that the news of the arrest of perhaps the most charismatic rebel leader in Manipur, must have become the topic of intense discussion and debates amongst the discerning citizens. The academia, those in the media, the senior citizens, the politicians or those who have a slight interest in politics, the Military Intelligence and the security forces, must be all pre-occupied with the latest development and what to expect in the next few days.

As we had said, the next few days will be crucial, given the fact that many political hypothesis are flying around, which may prove true or may end up as just another trash coming out from the fertile imagination of some people.

Yes the State Government must be busy dealing with the menace of flood, which has affected a large number of people, besides destroying standing crops, but find time they must, to discuss the issue politically. Remember no armed war has been waged without a political ideology and this is the reason why everyone talks about settling all such issues through political dialogues.

Delhi is sure to summon the political leadership of the State, including the Chief Minister to see if the arrest of Meghen could mean the beginning of a new chapter. And it also goes without saying that the bureaucrats will also be summoned to give their prized observations. Whether something concrete comes out of this or not is besides the point, but Delhi and more particularly Imphal, need to think out of the box and explore all possible avenues.

Nagaland ropes in the service of the Church and the Naga Hoho, whenever there was a threat to peace and their attempts to bring the warring factions of the NSCN to the negotiating table is something worth emulating. By this we are not saying that the arrest of Meghen has opened the door for a political dialogue.

Far from it, the crux or the main point of our observation is the positive role that civil society organisations can play, if Delhi and Imphal play their cards right and recognise that the movement launched by some armed groups of Manipur, notably the UNLF, are not only about waging a bush war but are founded on some firm political beliefs and ideologies.

This is a fact that should register in the minds of Delhi and Imphal and all future steps and political manoeuvre must be within this yard stick. As for Imphal, the time now is for the Chief Minister to look beyond the high walls and self imposed state of isolation from the ground reality and see the options available outside, such as in the world of the academia, the journalist fraternity, the writers who have made a name for their strong views on contemporary social and political culture, artistes and even sportspersons, who have had to play under the flag of India all these years.

Whether the arrest of Meghen is reduced to the capture of just another rebel leader, or whether Delhi capitalises on this and see if any breakthrough can be made, rests entirely on the maturity of the political leaderships of Imphal and Delhi. For starters let's look at the sincerity of Delhi, when it comes out with its official statement on the arrest of Sanayaima.