A politician in the making ? Playing with words
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: January 20, 2024 -

The transition has been smooth, very smooth.

A politician in the making and this about sums up Kuldiep Singh, as Manipur knows him since the last more than 8 months.

If one has to address a sensitive point then the best thing would be to confuse the people and the Security Advisor to the Government of Manipur seems to have mastered this art in just a little over 8 months.

Maybe it is the unique but bloody situation here which has compelled him to make the transition from the khaki to a politician in the making and nothing perhaps underlines this point better than the categorical ‘Myanmar militants not involved’ stand spelt out on January 9 to ‘might be involved’ turn around on January 18.

A man hand picked by Delhi just one day after Manipur went up in flames on May 3, 2023, it is more than clear that Kuldiep Singh is here not so much as the Security Advisor to the Government of Manipur, but an emissary sent by the Centre to do as bade by the political leaders of Delhi.

This was what emerged very clearly in his address to the media on January 18, even as Manipur reeled under the impact of the renewed offensives launched by Kuki militants at Moreh and at different parts of the State.

Keep the security engaged at Moreh and then pick up the soft targets in other parts such as at Bishnupur district.

Precise and clinical and as a man heading the Unified Command and as the Security Advisor to the Government of Manipur, it should have been more than clear that such clinical and ‘professional’ attacks could not have been possible without outside assistance.

That the Security Advisor preferred to take cover under terms such as ‘might be involved’ reeks of politicalspeak.

The bottomline is, this is not the time to take refuge under words and terms and jargons for here is a situation which has dragged on for more than 8 months and which has claimed hundreds of lives.

The Security Advisor also steered clear of answering or giving information on the sophisticated guns used by the Kuki militants.

Were such guns deposited at the designated camps of the SoO outfits is a question for which no answer has been forthcoming.

No explanation so far and surely the unfolding situation cannot be addressed by taking refuge in highly unreliable terms such as ‘might be involved’.

What Manipur needs right now are some clear cut answers.

If the Security Advisor is under the impression that taking refuge under vague terms or using vague words is the answer then there is no reason why the violence should drag on for over 8 months.

As the Security Advisor what are the advices that have been offered to the State Government to deal with the fresh offensives from the Kuki militants ?

What plans have been worked out to neutralise the ‘might be involved’ armed militants from across the border ?

The people want an answer to this and one hopes the answer is not buried under an avalanche of vague words and terms, dictated by political compulsion.

Delhi should also not lose sight of the significance of ‘might be involved’ take of Kuldiep Singh.

It is external aggression. It cannot be more plain and simple than this.

The question is whether the demand of geo-politics, the China equation vis-a-vis its hold and influence over Myanmar, should be allowed to override the interests of Manipur.

The very fact that this question has been raised should arouse Delhi to the fact that Manipur is not blind or ignorant of the larger scheme of things at play and this is where there is the distinct uncomfortable thought on whether it is in Delhi’s interest to prolong the crisis here.

Prolong the crisis in the sense that the Kuki militants are given a free hand, prompting Central security forces such as the Assam Rifles to remain onlookers.

If the Security Advisor can go to such length as stating ‘Myanmar militants might be involved’ in the series of offensives, then what is the Assam Rifles doing, the force tasked with guarding the border of India ?

Going by what the Security Advisor has had to say, how did the possibility of heavily armed militants crossing the border and entering India, going on the offensive, meticulously picking out the State forces from the Central force personnel, emerge ?

The answer can and should come from the chairman of the Unified Command.