Using kids in electioneering
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: April 05, 2014 -

In the ongoing election Tamasha of the upcoming 16th Lok Sabha election, an interesting development has emerged between Chief Minister of Nagaland Neiphiu Rio, the star campaigner of the Nagaland-based Naga People's Front (NPF) and some political parties and their leaders in Manipur over the alleged 'hate-speeches' of the former delivered during the election campaigns of his party candidate for the Outer seat.

If Rio has denounced Ibobi, the Chief Minister of the Congress-led Manipur Government as the 'greatest enemy of the Nagas', the latter has dubbed his Nagaland counterpart as a real 'trouble-maker' who is hell-bent on creating an unbridgeable chasm between the Meeteis and Naga communities in the State.

While the two heads of the neighbouring States, who nonetheless, admit the inalienable bonding existing between the Nagas and the Meeteis either as brothers or good neighbours, are engaging in an intense verbal war that has all the potency of creating communal disharmony in an already disturbed region, their respective associates have been no less vitriolic in their conduct towards each other.

If the Congress MLA N Biren has shot a complaint to the Election Commission of India (ECI) against Rio for allegedly violating the election model code of conduct by way of making communally charged statements during his election campaigns in the State, General Secretary of the Manipur unit of NPF Athuan Abonmai has hit back at Biren describing him as a frog croaking in a well' for some obvious reasons.

Not to be left out from the ongoing Tamasha, where there are only fiery speeches than any grand show that could catch attention of the voters, Laishom Ibomcha, the Manipur unit president of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), too has charged the Nagaland Chief Minister with constantly fuelling tension among the different ethnic communities living in Manipur and assured to take up the matter with the ECI.

Although it is not clear whether a complaint has already been lodged in this regard from the side of NCP or not, all that the public are aware is the announcement made by CEO of the State that a detailed report has been sought from the RO concerned for examining the charges.

While the matter rest here, all that we feel is that Rio, who is more busy today in electioneering for other NPF candidates in neighbouring States than for himself in his own home State, has only been emboldened to say whatever he likes during election campaigns on account of the muted silence that the like of Ibobi and other political leaders in the State have maintained when they should have opened their mouths, and so, they are as much responsible for the alleged 'hate speeches' of Rio.

Engaging in a verbal war or filing complaints to ECI at this juncture is not going to help in any way other than aggravating the fully charged 'hate' situation in the State.

More than crying for action against the alleged 'hate speeches' of Rio, which are of their own making; opening their eyes and taking up the issue of forcing school children to leave their classrooms for lining up the thoroughfares of Ukhrul town with NFP flags in hands to wave at Rio when he arrived for an election rally on April 1 would have made more sense, because this was not an April fool joke, but a reality which clearly violates the standing directive of ECI for keeping innocent children out of electioneering.