Doles for Voting: Contextual appreciation

Amar Yumnam *

It has been rewarding to join issues with Bhagat Oinam on the dynamics of elections, behaviour of voters and the nature of democracy as unfolded in Manipur. I started this new generation of Citizens’ Concerns II with a commentary on the recent elections wherein I also expressed my differences of explanation on the behaviour of the voters. I understand that my piece on Democracy, People and Elections have been commented upon by a few readers in the internet edition of The Sangai Express.

Now Bhagat too has given a rejoinder to my comments in the 1 March 2012 edition of the Poknapham. I see this as a new development in the academic and intellectual universe of Manipur. Whereas views were earlier expressed and comments were not welcomed in the past, a new culture of expressing opinions and continuing debates on those are now taking roots in the intellectual moral of the society here.

Bhagat’s New Input: One thing I like most in Bhagat’s new intervention is the wonderful analysis based on the global mainstream thoughts in this area. He rightly emphasises the necessity of evolving institutions for social improvement and empowerment of the electorate. There are lots of massages for wide understanding in his piece.

Indeed we have become very close in our understanding of the issues. One major difference however remains. While I have no qualms about his analyses, I have problems while applying his analyses in the contextual realities of Manipur.

The Realities: The political economy scenario today in Manipur is marked by certain realities without whose understanding any analysis of the social scene would be incomplete. Before I spell out the realities I consider important, I would like to recall what Cicero said long back: “Without the virtue of Patriotism, neither Duelius, Regulus, nor Metellus, had delivered Rome by their courage, from the terror of Carthage- nor had the two Scipios, when the fire of the second Punic War was kindled, quenched it in their blood- nor when it revived in greater force, would Fabius have enervated it- nor would Marcellus have reduced it- nor when it was repulsed from the gates of our own city, would Scipio have confined it within the walls of our enemies”.

He emphasized that this wonderful art is not only to be possessed but should also be practised. Now the realities I have about Manipur are many, but I would take only those which are highly relevant to the present context.

First, we must realise that the market has failed terribly to attend to the needs for development in Manipur. Besides this, we still have areas marked by absolute absence of the market. The areas of absence are also the least developed areas geographically and community-wise. Secondly, we are also in a territory where the state has terribly failed.

There is no instance where we can proudly say that our state has performed very satisfactorily such that some developmental results have emerged. Third, we are also in a region where the non-state too has failed both ideologically and the promise of a future of virtue. Fourth, we now see signs of both the failed state and the failed non-state coming together and sharing rent-seeking fruits.

Now the impact of these failures is that the people are left only with their ethnic affiliations as the last resort for survival. All the state, non-state and market forces have acquired a kind of force capable and unmindful of indulging in violence. In these circumstances the biggest casualties are the Cicerian virtue of patriotism and the hope for a positive future.

Now anybody would be compromising his life if dare to express plain reservations on the rent-seeking indulgence of any of the agents or their joint teams. The atmosphere is now that anyone can survive only when in a community and as a community member and with no expressed opinions on any of the state, non-state and the joint forces.

But unfortunately the different community groups have been left with no alternative but to cultivate a culture of collective power for violence. It is only this collective violence which both state and non-state forces cannot yet effectively counter. It could even be that they do not like this collective power as it may have the possibility of boomerang. So violence today is a social norm emerging with gusto.

In these circumstances, an individual does not feel free and liberated from the constraints even after a government has been formed by the very persons he has supported in the very election process. Otherwise how do we account for the transformation of an earlier supporter to an opponent in the next round of elections mostly on grounds of contract works?

The only kind of freedom and feeling liberated from all the possible threats to life is when the real elections come about. Here too there are many suppressive forces, but overall an individual can in most cases behave as if he is under no one else. This is the moment he can even ask for a fee in order to enjoy the benefit of his favourable voting.

Since the results of the earlier elections and the subsequent governments formed have in no case served his cause and does not even make him feel that any cause has been served with justice, no alternative is left with an electorate to exercise his power to demand a value on that day of voting. I am however not saying that this is right.

But the voters are left with no alternative functioning. The challenge before us is revival of the Cicerian Virtue of Patriotism.