Resignation of CM sinking in : Missed opportunities
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: February 11, 2025 -

How has Manipur taken to the resignation of N Biren Singh as the Chief Minister of Manipur ?

The answer is perhaps best left to the people to whom this poser is raised, but equally interesting would be to study how the BJP as a political party in Manipur would have taken to the resignation of the Chief Minister.

Here again only members of the saffron party can answer this question but how well Manipur would have taken the news of the resignation can perhaps be known by looking back at the days after May 3, 2023.

How well did the people take the counter arguments of the CM’s loyalists vis-a-vis the criticisms that were directed at the Government under the Chief Minister ?

Was the poor showing of the BJP candidate in the recently held Lok Sabha election in the Inner Parliamentary Constituency a reflection of the CM’s standing in the eyes of the public ?

Or was it something else ?

The questions are best left to the people to answer, but the more important question is whether the Chief Minister was made the fall guy in the larger scheme of things of the BJP as a political party ?

Now that N Biren has been asked to continue as the caretaker Chief Minister, pending a final decision from the Centre, who is best placed to occupy the hot seat ?

Literally a hot seat it is going to be, given the fact that even after nearly two years of the ethnic violence continuing, there is no sign of Manipur walking the road to normalcy.

But this is how it is and Manipur can only wait and see what steps are taken up, now that the Chief Minister has been convinced to step down.

Some names are already doing the round, with some pitching in with ‘brilliant’ readings of the situation and such a scenario is likely to continue until a new name is announced and a new Council of Ministers comes in.

For the moment Manipur has to wait and watch, but the question of greater significance and importance is whether situation will improve or not.

In hindsight, situation had come to such a pass that no room was created for Manipur or N Biren to negotiate which would have been beneficial to the understanding of Manipur.

To the Kuki-Zos and the two Kuki Ministers and Kuki MLAs, the target was the Chief Minister and if at all situation had come to such a pass that he had to step down, then at least a situation could have been worked out to negotiate for something to ensure the protection of Manipur as a distinct geo-political reality.

N Biren could have emerged a hero if he had worked out a situation to negotiate for something as critical as getting the SoO nullified in exchange for his stepping down.

But it should be obvious to all that such a situation was not created from which he could have bargained for something concrete.

In the end, it is Delhi which has had its way.

A look back at the last two weeks or so would have left no one in doubt that not everything was right within the legislature wing of the BJP.

With the Congress making all the right noises and sending out the right vibes, not only in Manipur but also in Parliament, courtesy its two Lok Sabha MPs, the time appeared right for the peeved and dissatisfied BJP MLAs to raise their banner against the Chief Ministership of N Biren.

Instead of timely addressing the growing voices of discontent, what Manipur saw was the Chief Minister going on the offensive prompting the Congress to lodge a complaint with the Governor.

The war of words that ensued between a prominent Congress leader and the Chief Minister was certainly not pleasing to the eyes and ears of the more discerning citizens of the land.

No situation was created from which N Biren could have been in a position to say, ‘I will step down but in exchange, something concrete must be done for Manipur, such as abrogating the SoO pact.

Additionally give an assurance that NRC would be actuated in Manipur,’ and this is something doable if only the right situation had been created.

And to create the right situation, one needs political acumen and the ability to prioritise things.

Not when the mind is closed and refuses to look beyond.