Giving it back word for word : Sticking to a script
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: April 04 , 2014 -

In so far as taking the battle to the Naga Peoples’ Front is concerned the State Congress seems to have done its home work well.

The strategy appears to be clear.

Let Chief Minister O Ibobi take the back seat and let Deputy Chief Minister and president of the Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee, Gaikhangam do the talking.

And this seems to be paying off if one goes by what the Deputy Chief Minister had to say the other day during an election rally at Sagolband.

Gaikhangam was certainly in his elements when he landed punches on Nagaland Chief Minister and leader of the NPF, Nephiu Rio, but not below the belt.

An important point to note. In Gaikhangam, the Congress has certainly found just the right man to counter the charges levelled by Rio, with panache.

Interesting to note that while the chief campaigner of the NPF pulled no punches in dubbing Chief Minister O Ibobi the enemy of the Naga people, Gaikhangam chose to ignore this diatribe and instead opted to put Rio in his place.

“It is not the duty of Rio to make attempts to break the territorial and emotional integrity of Manipur. He should instead concentrate on developing his State.”

In one sweeping statement, the MPCC chief sort of advised Rio to concentrate on his home turf, that is Nagaland and again sort of reminded him of ‘his duty’ as the Chief Minister of a State.

Sarcastic and witty at the same time, and in the process landing punches at the right places.

Something which Rio failed to do when he went on the jugular and launched a personal tirade against his Manipur counterpart.

This is not to say the verbal duel between the NPF and the Congress is of any merit.

It is rather unfortunate that instead of engaging in meaningful debates, the two parties have deemed it fitter to engage in lung power and launching personal attacks against each other.

A sign that electoral politics in this region is yet to mature to the level one would expect in the largest democracy in the world.

After the massive integrity rally organised by the All Manipur United Clubs’ Organisation on August 4, 1997 and the June 14 Bangkok Declaration in 2001 and the June 18 uprising the same year, protecting the territorial integrity of Manipur has been the calling card of all political parties in the State.

Viewed in this context, it is therefore not surprising to see all the political parties laying emphasis on the territorial integrity of the State in its election manifestoes.

Seen against this reality, the MPCC president cannot be faulted for trumping that it is only the Congress party which can neutralise Rio’s ideology and attempts to disintegrate Manipur.

But then it is also important for the people not to turn a blind eye to the fact that it was not any political party which was at the forefront to safeguard the boundary of the State, but the common people led by some civil society organisations.

It was only after some civil society organisations took up the issue with the seriousness it deserved that the political parties jumped onto the bandwagon and started capitalising on this issue to garner the support and votes of the people.

In claiming that only the Congress party can face the challenge posed by the NPF, read protecting the boundary of Manipur, Gaikhangam stuck to a script, which any other political party would have done, especially while canvassing in the Inner Manipur Parliamentary Constituency.