One to one meet with PM ? What points to be raised ?
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: July 27, 2024 -

Suddenly the question topmost in the mind of Manipur is whether Chief Minister N Biren would have the opportunity or be granted the opportunity for a one-to-one meet with the Prime Minister during the meeting of Niti Aayog which has been scheduled at New Delhi on July 27.

This question is important in the face of the fact that in the last 14 months, ever since Manipur went up in flames in the evening of May 3, 2023, no audience has been granted to any political leader of Manipur and one is left wondering whether the opportunity provided by the Niti Aayog conclave would open the door for the Chief Minister to meet the Prime Minister to discuss an issue which would be Manipur specific.

No answer yet, but the Chief Minister must have got the points he would like to present before the Prime Minister well worked out.

Likewise the Prime Minister too will have certain inputs, that is if at all a one-to-one meeting becomes a reality.

The question on the Manipur specific meeting should also be understood in the backdrop of the fact that the Prime Minister’s Office came up with the response ‘Meet Home Minister Ami Shah’ to a specific meeting sought with the Prime Minister by BJP and NPP MLAs just the other day.

This is the background against which the Chief Minister may meet the Prime Minister and this is where it would be interesting to see what points are put up before Narendra Modi if and when the meeting becomes a reality.

If one goes by what the Manipur Legislative Assembly had adopted on February 29 this year, the Chief Minister may be expected to put up the growing demand to abrogate the Suspension of Operation pact with the Kuki underground outfits.

Next in line is obviously the call to enforce the National Register of Citizens in Manipur with 1961 as the base year.

Other than this the Chief Minister is also likely to highlight the War on Drugs campaign launched by the BJP led Government in Imphal and how the ongoing clash may be linked to the drive of the Government to neutralise the growing drug racket here.

In short highlight how the Golden Triangle has expanded into the North East region, in particular Manipur.

Statistics and figures will no doubt be presented but everything will depend on how well the inputs of the Chief Minister go down with the Prime Minister.

Obviously the Prime Minister would have been briefed well by the different agencies and one wonders how the Chief Minister would respond if the law and order situation in the State is brought up for discussion.

Remember the series of sit in protests launched by the Co-ordinating Committee on Disturbance Free Education Zone against the ‘unbearable’ monetary demands served on educational institutions.

Manipur has been given to understand that New Delhi would never agree to the proposal to bifurcate the State in any manner but it is pertinent to question what the response of the Chief Minister would be if the Prime Minister brings up a watered down version of the Separate Administration call.

The manner in which the response of the State is given would be as much critical as asserting the stand of Manipur and one is more than convinced that such a critical point would not have flown over the consciousness of a seasoned political leader like the Chief Minister.

One wonders whether any inputs or suggestions have been sought from the Opposition parties on the response that the State Government may give if faced with questions such as the demand raised by the ten Kuki-Zo MLAs and which has been vocalised and backed by the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum, the Committee on Tribal Unity and Kuki Inpi, Manipur.

The meeting has not yet materialised and no one knows whether the one-to-one will be granted or not, but this is an opportunity on which Chief Minister N Biren is banking on.

And in such an eventuality, it is best for Imphal to be well prepared with the points that are to be laid before the Prime Minister as well as the responses that may be given when faced with any poser.

For 14 months Imphal has been defending the Prime Minister and this is where it needs to show that it is justified in its defence, despite the growing scepticism amongst the people.

And to justify its stand, Imphal would need to get a response from the Prime Minister which can be understood as being favourable to Manipur.

As stated, no one knows if the one-to-one would be granted, but the fact that the Chief Minister has pinned his hope on such an interaction gives a certain sense of optimism.