Dissenting voices from within : Leadership vacuum ?
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: December 05, 2024 -

Former Speaker in the first edition of the BJP led Government here at Imphal and now RD and PR Minister Yumnam Khemchand is perhaps the first high profile personality from within the BJP Government to openly speak out his mind against the handling of the ongoing ethnic clash and rounded up his observation with the line, 'Asked him (Chief Minister) to resign' in the best interests of Manipur and her people.

This was sometime at the latter part of November and fast forward to the first week of December and the pressure of push and pull within seems to have started rocking the BJP Government with the epicentre located at the chair which the Chief Minister sits.

Save Manipur is apparently the one line statement that seems to be driving the pulls and pushes from within and this is what may be read into the hush-hush meeting that Yumnam Khemchand and Speaker Thokchom Satyabrata had separately with BJP National Secretary (Organisation) BL Santhosh at Delhi on December 2.

How things progress from here remains to be seen, but it is undeniable that the State Government seems to have completely lost the plot on how to deal with the ongoing crisis except for coming up with some cosmetic measures such as resuming bus service on the Imphal to Kangpokpi and Imphal to Churachandpur routes.

What however should not be forgotten is the fact that private bus and taxi service continue to ply on the said routes, except that none of the passengers are Meiteis or none of the drivers or handymen are Meiteis.

The owners of the buses and taxis plying on the said routes are not Meiteis either.

Just like no one from the Kuki-Zo community would feel safe or secure to come to Imphal or any place in the valley districts.

This is the reality and a reality which has dragged on for over 19 months now, and it is more than obvious that Imphal has completely lost the plot.

It is against this reality that voices of dissent have started emerging from within.

Has Imphal or the BJP led Government in Manipur worked out the roadmap to put in place a semblance of normalcy?

Has any tangible meeting been held amongst the political leaders of the State to chart out a course which would be acceptable to the people?

Has the Government taken the Opposition Congress into confidence or is it more a case of refusing to take them on board on an issue which has affected everybody, regardless of party affiliation ?

This is not the first time that these questions are being raised and it should also be clear that these questions are raised not only to the first among equals but also to the Council of Ministers, for it is about collective responsibility.

Manipur needs to get its act, together and chart out a roadmap to normalcy. And to do this it is crucial to take the opinion and suggestions of everyone.

Is the present leadership doing that ?

This question should be understood in the backdrop of the voices of dissent that have begun to unsteady the Government.

It is early days yet, but it is more than clear that not everything is right within the Government and such a situation cannot be for the good of Manipur in any sense of the term.

And the important question is why such a situation has come about.

For over 19 months Manipur has been burning. Over 250 people have been killed with many still missing.

Thousands have been rendered homeless, forced to live as refugees in their own home State and hundreds of homes have been burnt and levelled to the ground.

Manipur is today dotted by buffer zones, not that this has helped in any way to stop the killings, with even an Army base camp, Leimakhong where the 57 Mountain Division is based, no longer safe with a man still untraceable after he entered the Army garrison.

It is despite this that the Government continues to be in office and no head has rolled.

Surprising but to some from within the BJP Government this is unacceptable and hence the voices of dissent which have started streaming out.

It still remains to be seen whether Delhi would have taken note of the dissenting voices from within and given the fact that indifference has been the most visible position struck by Delhi since the evening of May 3, 2023, it would be foolhardy to predict the likely developments.

What however is significant to note is the fact that voices of dissent have started emerging and this is something which would have been unthinkable before May 3, 2023.

The ongoing clash has surely taken a heavy toll.