Strong and effective Opposition : Cong on the offensive
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: August 23 2018 -

Going on the offensive.

And as Government spokesperson and Works Minister Th Biswajit said, the offensives may be seen as a ploy ahead of the upcoming Parliamentary elections, but this does not take away the significance of the ground under which the darts have been aimed at the BJP led Government.

This is politics but definitely this cannot and should not be seen as punching below the belt for the issue which the Congress has been whipping up concerns the existence of Manipur as a geo-political reality.

The NSCN (IM) is a formidable organisation and in Th Muivah it has a very, very far sighted leader and if the Congress has been mobilising the people against any final pact that may hurt the interest of Manipur, it is in acknowledgment of the leader in Th Muivah and what surprises he may spring up.

With the BJP holding the reins of Government both at New Delhi and Imphal, the Congress has every right to keep the State Government on its toes.

The Framework Agreement cannot be taken lightly.

The very fact that the Centre has kept it under such a veil of secrecy is all the more reason for everyone to be wary of what may come out in the final pact.

The BJP led Government, particularly the State unit of the BJP, must be having sleepless nights, not only because of what may finally emerge from the Framework Agreement, but also due to the wide mobilisation drive that has been launched by the Congress.

This is what is expected from the Opposition and for all its faults while it was in power for 15 years, it is refreshing to see the Congress so active as the Opposition party.

This is what is understood as an effective Opposition and the people should be happy over this fact.

Ironic it is but no one will know better than the Congress the ill effects of the absence of a strong Opposition.

A point which has been stressed here on more than one occasion.

In its 15 years in power, the Congress rode rough shod over the Opposition, decimating them and in the absence of a strong Opposition, the unbridled powers went to its head.

Again in another irony of politics, the only opposition that the Congress faced, particularly after the 2012 Assembly elections came from its now member, Kh Joykisan when he was with the Trinamool Congress first and then later when he was with the BJP after the by election.

So having learnt from its own experience, the Congress appears set to let the Government know what the Opposition can and should do.

This is something which Chief Minister N Biren too must acknowledge.

Sure the Congress may go hammer and tongs against the BJP, but it would do good for the Chief Minister and his men to see the positives from the barrage of criticisms that has come and will come from the Opposition bench.

Seeing the good means, all issues whipped up by the Opposition must seen through the prism of the people.

And the mobilisation drive launched by the Congress riding on the slogan ‘interests of Manipur’ should also be seen as the interests of the BJP too for here it is about Manipur.

The FA mobilisation drive of the Congress should be seen beyond the divide that electoral politics spawns.