Political intolerance
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: January 15, 2024 -

SUCCESSFUL launch of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from Khongjom in Thoubal district after the Chief Minister N Biren Singh-led BJP government in the strife-torn northeastern Indian state of Manipur withheld permission for the march for peace and justice from the historic Hapta Kangjeibung in the capital city Imphal till the last moment has literally come like a tight slap on the face of the state government, which many people fear is increasingly becoming intolerant of voices of dissent and criticism.

Even though the permission for use of Hapta Kangjeibung as the venue for flagging off the Yatra on January 14 was finally given, albeit "with a limited number of participants", that too after eight days of seeking the permission, Congress party has done the right thing in arranging an alternative venue near Khongjom War Memorial, which is perhaps even more historically important than Hapta Kangjeibung.

By turning down the permission given by the state administration at the last minute with some riders, Congress party has also shown its resolve not to be cowed down and disheartened by any attempt of the ruling party to stifle dissent in a democratic society.

This is appreciable simply because for a democratic society to thrive and flourish, the presence of a strong and resolute opposition is essential to put checks and balances on the party in power from wielding too much power and curtailing the rights to have free and fair public debates and discussions on issues of importance that are directly or indirectly related to well-being of all the citizens, regardless of their political stances and affiliations.

This is even more so in a multi-cultural and multi ethnic society like Manipur which has been embroiled in an unprecedented ethnic clash between the Kuki-Chin and the Meitei/Meetei communities for more than eight months now and need both the ruling and the opposition parties to put their heads together for coming up with a solution to bring peace and restore normalcy in the state.

By extolling the Congress party for its sagacity in turning down the permission given by the state administration and arranging an alternative venue for launching the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra to be led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from Manipur to, Maharashtra covering a distance of 6200 km in 66 days, we are in no way saying that the Yatra is the right thing to do at this critical juncture when hundreds of families are mourning the loss of their loved ones and thousands of displaced families on both sides of the clash divide are languishing in relief camps set up across the length and breadth of the state.

Notwithstanding the repeated assurances given by leaders of Congress party that the Yatra is not a political rally but a march for ensuring peace and justice, the real political motive behind organising the Yatra just ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections with route laid out to cover 15 states and 100 Lok Sabha constituencies has not been lost on anyone.

When the earlier Bharat Jodo Yatra from Kanyakumari at the southern tip of India to the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir was taken out covering 4,080 km over almost 150 days, Manipur, or for that matter, any part of northeast India was in the consciousness of none of the Congress leaders, who are today shedding crocodile tears over the plight of the people living in "a beautiful state like Manipur which has been embroiled in an unfortunate conflict for the past few months".

Why the strife-torn Manipur has become so important for the grand old party of India, which is trying desperately to regain its former glory, to kick off the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra is an open secret.

That is the reason why the Chief Minister N Biren Singh-led BJP government in Manipur had to delay permission sought for launching the Yatra from the historic Hapta Kangjeibung in Imphal till the last moment and exposed its political intolerance of dissenting voices in the process.

It is as simple as that.