Sticking on UNC’s issues will only benefit Congress
- Imphal Times Editorial :: January 25 2017 -

What was witness in the last fifteen years of Congress rule in the state is not an issue for the upcoming Manipur legislative Assembly election.

Corruption, nepotism, human rights violations and of course the controversial Armed Forces Special Power Act, (AFSPA), 1958 seems like to be of no concern to the people.

It is the economic blockade that is sweeping mind of the people who will hand over the power to govern the state for five years. UNC’s prolonged economic blockade is the core issue of the upcoming assembly election.

People as well as political parties have now stopped discussing about the misgovernance, corruption or human rights violation, but everyone is driven to the issues encircling around UNC’s economic blockade.

Everyday discussion hours in local televisions are about the UNC’s blockade. Congress party blames BJP and the BJP blames Congress for the UNC’s unsettle problems.

Even the Manipur High Court had summoned top officials of the Law Enforcers over their inability to open the National Highway 2.

With media or public platform flooded by words of critique to the UNC’s prolonged economic blockade, something that is coming up to the public spare is that the UNC’s issue cannot be suppressed by force.

This is known to both BJP and the Congress. But both the parties keep continuing to play their game sideling the fact that the UNC’s problem can be only solved through politically.

It is an open secret that the agenda of the UNC is the Frame work agreement signed between the NSCN-IM and the India Government in August last year.

Following the signing of the Framework agreement, the NSCN-IM collective leadership has been propagating the Naga dominated area of the state convincing the public about the creation of an administration where all Nagas as claimed by the NSCN-IM can be put under one administrative unit.

District creation by the Manipur government is not the root of the UNC’s economic blockade. But it is rather the disruption of the dream being built up by the NSCN-IM.

Remember 9 days before the Government of Manipur had announced the 7 new revenue district, the UNC has already called total shut down along the National Highways for two days and later followed the economic blockade from midnight of October 31 last year.

Talk about potential agitation demanding new district creations spread like wild fire, but there was no official indication of the Government preparing the announcement of the creation of the seven new district.

When NSCN-IM can still gain massive supports from certain sections of people, it is not right to underestimate the outfit.

Even a layman knows that the issues of the UNC can only be settled through dialogue.

Then why the center instead of initiating a dialogue throws the ball to the court of the state government.

Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh who had rule the state for 15 years is more experience I handling issues of Manipur and the more the center blame he got more advantage.

Before the economic blockade started, it was about the rampant corruption, mass appointment to the government department which has been major election agenda.

It is at this point that, we the voters of the state now need to understand why every political parties particularly the BJP and the Congress are sidelining all issues but playing game with the UNC blockade.

A senior BJP leader while speaking to a public meeting had once said that announcement of the economic blockade will only brought catastrophe to the state.

The statement was true but in electoral politics the UNC’s agenda is not a factor that will get majority seat in the 60 assembly constituencies.

National BJP leaders seems to have forgotten that appeasing the UNC will only mean only some seat in NSCN-IM control assembly constituencies which is not more than 5.

When Congress Strongman Okram Ibobi Singh knows that to form government in the center there is nothing wrong in ignoring UNC issue.

It cannot be denied that , Manipur’s safety is priority for all and playing politics without understanding that no force across the globe can distort the boundary of Manipur. (Prof. N. Sanajaoba)

A sincere appealed to other political party particularly the BJP other than the Congress party is than divert the issue, talk UNC through NSCN-IM and advice them to end the economic blockade and then start taking up issues of corruption, and the mass appointment of government employees in the government department.

It is not that Imphal Times support BJP but Imphal Times suggest because handing of power to a single person for four terms will make no difference than a dictator.

The beauty of democracy may lose its significance.