Shining in a land of leadership vacuum : The crucial missing link
- Sangai Express Editorial :: June 05, 2013 -

Not exactly the 'missing link' in Darwin's theory of evolution, but nevertheless an important missing link.

An idea which The Sangai Express received during a personal interaction with an elderly gentleman who has served as a Government employee but has now retired.

The question or rather the point that he put forward was, "Manipur has made a mark for itself on the international fora in the field of art and culture, in sports, even in education the youngsters are improving by leaps and bounds with thousands getting respectable employment in different parts of not only India but across the world. A sure indicator that the people of Manipur are not lagging that much behind others. But how about the politicians, where do they stand in comparison with their counter parts from other States of the country ?"

Given in quote, though the exact words that he said cannot be recalled but the point is worth pondering. In other words, the observation of the elderly gentleman may be summed up in just a few words.

"While others have done well for themselves, the politicians or the political leaders of the State have been the weakest link."

Hard hitting and profound and the significant and interesting part is politics or the politicians in one way or the other invariably touches the lives of everyone, whether one is an outstanding sportsperson, an excellent student or someone who has excelled in his or her chosen field.

In short, politicians and political leaders are central to almost all aspects of life in the type of Government that India and hence Manipur follows. Merits serious deliberations.

Why have no political leaders from Manipur been able to make a mark for themselves at the National level ?

Numbers do count, but to keep falling back on this alibi would be refusing to acknowledge the truth, however bitter it is.

SC Jamir has virtually been banished from the political centre stage of Nagaland, but that has not stopped his personal ascendancy. After being ousted from power, the first time round, he was promptly appointed as the Governor of Goa and later Maharastra.

And now after the latest drubbing the Congress received at the Nagaland hustings, he has been appointed and taken charge as the Governor of Odisha. Assam has a Tarun Gogoi and before him Hiteshwar Saikia while Meghalaya has produced a PA Sangma.

These are individual cases, no doubt and may not exactly reflect the overall profile of the political leaderships of the neighbouring States but the point is Manipur has not been able to produce anyone who comes close to the personalities named thus.

Why is this so and this is just not a mundane question.

Amid the excellence or good showing dished out by people in different walks of life, why has Manipur consistently failed to produce a political leader, who can rub shoulders with the others ?

This question is worth some serious deliberations in the face of the fact that in one way or the other, the politicians and the political leaders touch the lives of everyone.

Could it be a case of the 'profession' of politics failing to attract the best minds and talents in the State or could it be something more like, the best and the talented being elbowed out by those already entrenched in the system, for reasons which should be obviously to all.

Or is it a case of the brilliant and the talented getting wasted once they become 'professional politicians ?' Something, somewhere is missing and it is this missing link which needs serious study.

The profundity of the observation expounded by the elderly gentleman needs to be seen in the present context when the people of Manipur have rather conducted themselves well in the absence of any inspiring political leadership.

People doing well in a climate of leadership vacuum says something profound about the disconnect between the politicians and the common people and this cannot be a healthy sign for the type of Government in vogue here.