The invisible, inept Opposition : Anathema to democracy
- Sangai Express Editorial :: May 07, 2013 -

Democracy is about the rule of the majority. The mandate of the people. This is one side of the story.

Important, maybe not as important as the question of the majority, is the presence of an Opposition, not only in name but a living, kicking entity. Take this away then the understanding of democracy would fall flat.

It would be about the tyranny of the majority. Take this understanding to a slightly higher plane and it could read as governance does not only concern the party in power, but also the party/parties, which is/are known as the Opposition.

Subtle and with his unique sense of articulation, this was what Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam said more or less, while addressing the one day political conference organised by the Keishamthong Block Congress Committee on May 5.

The astute politician that he is, the allusion to the absence of an Opposition in the State came when the BJP was in the midst of a Nation wide campaign, discrediting the Congress led UPA Government at Delhi.

A counter attack, in a style, which only a man like Mr Gaikhangam can do ?

The BJP and other like minded parties obviously have the 2014 Parliamentary election in mind, but cut back to Manipur and it should be clear that what the Deputy Chief Minister was alluding to is the nadir that the Opposition parties have sunk to after the thrashing they received at the last hustings.

The interesting question is, should the people take the word of the Deputy Chief Minister at face value or is there a need for some deeper introspection to come to an answer which is somewhere near the truth ?

In sheer numbers or counting of heads, the Opposition is a few notches above the zero figure, with the differences within them making things all the more complicated. However again, is number the only benchmark to say that an Opposition is effective or not ?

Mr Gaikhangam obviously seems to believe that numbers is the most important aspect. This is true no dbout, but the tragedy becomes manifold when the Opposition is weighed down by this and is rendered paralysed. More out of a poverty of ideas than any conviction in such a line of thought ?

Let the public decide that. But the unfortunate part is, whether it is numbers or not, the Opposition today has become nothing much than more than a notice board.

A notice board, the contents of which the people would have registered in their memories a long, long time back. Manipur is not lacking in issues.

Power supply, water supply, the immense inconveniences faced by the people in their day to day existence. These are issues which the Opposition parties have miserably failed to capitalise upon.

Or does governance or rather non-governance not fit into the political scheme of the Opposition ? It is early days yet and election to the State Assembly is a good four or so years away.

However issues need not only be highlighted or debated with an eye on the election. That can and will come later.

Why has the Opposition parties failed to sustain a movement against any of the issues dogging the State for so long, is a question worth pondering.

Time for a serious introspection or else the observation of the Deputy Chief Minister on the absence of an Opposition will stick and effectively at that.