Onus on centre to restore order in state
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: February 12, 2025 -

Given the challenging situation Manipur is passing through at the juncture, it seems that not many would be eager to hop onto the hot seat left vacant after the resignation N Biren following consistent pressure tactics and criticisms from both his senior ministerial colleagues, the opposition Congress, alliance partners of the coalition government and Kuki civil bodies to relinquish the post on moral ground over the unrest situation besieging the state since May 2023.

In-spite effacing hindrances in executing developmental projects owing to diverse issues, including geo-political factors, the N Biren government had been fairly successful in ensuring that the general population is not deprived of their basic requirements.

However, simmering tension between the Kuki and Meetei communities for over 21 months and sporadic occurrences of unwanted incidents, including threat and intimidation related to extortion demands by armed groups, ultimately forced N Biren to pave the way for a new leader to helm the state's affairs.

It is also possible that Biren had to step down from the top post apparently due to the party's central leaders realising that he lacked the numbers to face the no confidence motion planned by the Congress party in the seventh session of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly, which Governor AK Bhalla called off few hours after the chief minister resigned.

As it is obvious that those shortlisted, as the frontrunners for the CM's post would be reluctant to hold the mantle on the premise that bringing solution to the Kuki-Meetei conflict would be an arduous task, if not totally impossible, keeping the assembly under suspended animation followed by imposition of the President's Rule appears imminent.

Notably, Congress leaders including party's state chief K Meghachandra and Inner Manipur MP Dr Bimol Akoijam have shared their opinion that the President's Rule would be against the general sentiment of the public, and instead recommended entrusting the charge to someone who could guarantee political stability and ensure responsible administration as envisaged in the Indian Constitution.

Contrary to expression of personal views on the evolving destabilising political scenario by the Congress duo and emphasising on restoration of normalcy in the state, leaders of influential Kuki organisations are outright that President's Rule must be imposed for the sake of reinstating democratic institutions and practices.

It is pertinent to add here that Kuki civil organisations had been accusing chief minister N Biren of orchestrating the violence and demanding his resignation rather than introspecting and acknowledging that the violence actually started after automatic weapons wielding persons in combat fatigues along with Kuki youngsters targeted and torched Meetei settlements in Torbung area.

Now that he has stepped down, Kuki bodies are insisting that the centre must accord importance to their demand for separate administration in-spite of the same rejected in the past by the central leaders.

For reasons best known to them, N Biren is being branded as saviour of the Meetei community and annihilator of the Kuki ever since the conflict broke out, unmindful of the fact that prior to the violence, the chief minister used to be heartily welcomed whenever he toured Kuki villages and even accorded status of divinity for his commitment towards uniform development across the state.

Thus, in view of the complex socio-political structure and aspirations of the diverse communities, only time will tell whether or not imposition of the President's Rule would help address the turmoil in the state.