Democracy at the grassroot level :: ADC polls : Date with June 1
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: May 27 2015 -

The agenda is still not very clear. But it is all about taking democracy to the grassroot level.

Local self Government or entrusting governance to the people at the grassroot level.

Perhaps it is driven by this that the BJP, the Congress and the Naga Peoples’ Front have been putting on their best foot forward for the ensuing election to the Autonomous District Council for which the people will go to polls on June 1.

That the BJP and the NPF have taken the polls seriously can be gauged from the number of leaders from outside Manipur who have put in the efforts to sell the ideas of the respective political parties and the candidates to the voters.

The Congress, on the other hand, has been relying on its home grown leaders, with no one from Delhi or from the All India Congress Committee hitting the campaign trail here.

By all accounts the upcoming election may well be a toss up among these political parties.

The others, like the Manipur Peoples’ Party and the Left parties have not made any inroads in the hill districts of Manipur and nowhere is this more apparent than the upcoming elections to the Autonomous District Council.

So what exactly are these three political parties peddling before the voters ?

Nothing has been spelt out in clear cut terms, but the efforts to win over the confidence of the people have not been missing.

Not yet spelt out in clear cut terms, but the NPF has on more than one occasion made it clear that their priority is bringing the ongoing political negotiation between the Government of India and the NSCN (IM) to a logical conclusion.

Not clear what the logical conclusion would be about but this is one primary reason why the NPF has had such an impact amongst the Naga people of Manipur.

There are other issues which many may perceive as running contrary to the idea of a Manipur but if the last Assembly election is any indication, the NPF seems to have won over the confidence of the Naga people in Manipur. This is bound to be a big headache to both the BJP and the Congress.

The BJP on the other hand has not been talking anything in favour of any particular community but the party has already gone on record and stated that if the BJP comes to power at the ADC, then direct funding for the hills from Delhi is a distinct possibility.

Not sure how this will be taken by the Congress Government here, but this particular election promise must have rattled the oldest political party in the country.

The Congress has not gone to town with any spectacular announcement, so far, but it is nonetheless interesting to see that it has been projecting itself as the only political party committed to secularism and protecting the welfare of everyone, irrespective of community.

This may go down with certain section of people, especially in the backdrop of such non-sensical pronouncement of a BJP leader who has been quoted as saying that if anyone wants to eat beef, then they may go to Pakistan or any of the middle east countries.

Worth noting that in the run up to June 1, not many have spoken out about how the hills have been doing after the ADC election in 2010.

Has there been any perceptible change since then ?

If yes, what is stopping the Congress from highlighting these points ?

If not, then what is stopping the BJP and the NPF from taking pot shots at the Congress ?

Or are these issues of no importance ? The voters should decide, come June 1.