Raj Bhavan since Feb 13, 2025 : Have things improved at all ?
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: June 06, 2025 -

February 9, 2025 - This was when N Biren was asked to give in his paper as Chief Minister of Manipur.

February 13, 2025 - This was when Manipur came under President's Rule and the State Assembly was kept under suspended animation.

March 8, 2025 - This was when the free movement call of Union Home Minister Amit Shah had to be hastily rolled back, but not before the National Highway-2 misadventure when the attempt to open the said highway and ensure the free movement of everyone was rubbished by the protesters who had come out in hundreds on either side of the National Highway.

May 28, 2025 - This was when a number of elected MLAs proceeded to the Raj Bhavan to stake claim to form the Government with the claim that at least 44 MLAs support Government formation.

And June 3, 2025 - This was when The Sangai Express ran the first lead story of how formation of a popular Government was still remote.

These are some dates that stand out since February 13, that is apart from the days when the sky opened up and created havoc all over Manipur with incessant rain.

The rain has stopped, at least in Imphal and water level at all the major rivers including Imphal River and Iril River are now flowing below the warning level, bringing that much needed reprieve to the people.

With the sky clearing up and the flood water receding at many places in Imphal, it is highly likely that focus of the people will return to the question of Government formation.

It is not so much a question of whether the MLAs concerned will be able to project a name as the Chief Minister or not but more about whether the return of a popular Government will be able to take Manipur to the path of normalcy.

This is the million dollar question and while no one expects a clear cut answer, the fact that Manipur literally burned for 18 months while there was still a popular Government here will not be forgotten in a hurry.

At the same time it should also be remembered that the coming of President's Rule has not improved the situation and Manipur will not forget that the March 8 free movement call was reduced to a farce when there was President's Rule here.

It is also important to remind Manipur that May 20 is still alive and kicking in the consciousness of the media persons and the decision to boycott any news related to the State Government continues to this day, except for the flood related information.

The 15 days timeframe set to establish how the order to erase/remove the word Manipur from the signage of the bus carrying the journalists for the opening ceremony of the Shirui Lily Festival has come and gone and apparent that Raj Bhavan is yet to acknowledge the sense of hurt and outrage felt by the journalists and Manipur.

The points raised here should be understood in the backdrop of the poser whether the imposition of President's Rule has taken Manipur anywhere nearer to the understanding of normalcy.

And the very fact that this question has been raised should be a sort of an awakening to Raj Bhavan and the men who matter, particularly the Security Advisor, Chief Secretary, the DGP, IGAR of Assam Rifles and the other top notch officers of the Government.

It is amid these developments that the call for the return of a popular Government is gaining ground, with the BJP MLAs leading the way.

No one knows how long the Assembly will continue to be kept under suspended animation and how long President's Rule will continue, but other than the meetings convened at New Delhi with different CSOs to discuss the situation in Manipur, what other steps has Delhi taken up ?

No clear cut answer on this but the fact stands that Manipur has been under a state of siege since the evening of May 3, 2023 and it is flummoxing to note that Delhi is still groping in the dark, even after more than three months of President's Rule despite the fact that the man at Raj Bhavan was in the thick of things from May 3, 2023 as the Union Home Secretary at Delhi.

Points that come to mind even as Manipur continues to march towards the three year mark without showing any sign of improvement in the situation and having to bear such ignominy as the May 20 Gwaltabi incident with no answer till date and the raging floods in between.