Supping with Coalition partners : 'Outburst' from Newmai
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: December 19 2018 -

It may have been the numbers for the BJP could win just 21 seats in the 60 member Assembly in the 2017 Assembly election, but the shortfall in seats and the compulsion to go in for a coalition Government must have come as a blessing in disguise for the N Biren Singh Government.

With the Congress winning 28 seats it emerged the single largest party after the 2017 Assembly election, but it was the BJP which went on to form the Government, courtesy the coalition it managed to strike up with other political parties, notably the NPF with four seats, NPP with four MLAs, one Independent, the lone AITC MLA and of course some rogue Congress MLAs.

It is in line with this reality that NPF, Manipur State unit president Awangbow Newmai went on to state that a coalition Government would best serve the interest of Manipur in view of the numerous communities living in the State.

The stand of Newmai is understandable, for as the name NPF itself suggests, it is primarily a political party representing the Nagas.

It is however another matter whether political parties, such as the BJP and the NPP toe this line, but this is a different matter.

Whatever one's stand maybe, it is nonetheless significant to note that more than one year down the line and the coalition Government led by the BJP seems to be going smoothly with no visible fissure amongst the coalition partners.

Credit here then must go to the BJP leadership for keeping the flocks together.

It however remains to be seen whether the coalition partners will stick it out together when Parliamentary election is held next year and important to keep in mind that the BJP cannot afford to portray the present coalition as the coming together of disparate political parties.

Perhaps the most significant change that can be seen under the present dispensation is the improved relationship between the hills and the valley.

This is perhaps best reflected in the fact that the State Government is today no longer 'the communal Government of Manipur,' to many Naga civil society organisations, particularly the United Naga Council.

The Hill Leaders' Day, the setting up of women market sheds in the hill district headquarters, upgrading Shirui Lily Festival to a State level festival, making the Cherry Blossom festival of Mao part of the Sangai Festival are all steps which must have gone down well with the people of the hill districts and it is only right that the BJP led Government takes the feel good factor to its logical conclusion.

This is where one needs to take the word of caution sounded by Awangbow Newmai with the seriousness it deserves.

'Malicious words against NPF,' 'If tolerance limit is crossed,' 'Adversaries' were some words that came out from the president of the State unit of the NPF and this is where his 'outburst' needs to be seen in its corrective perspective.

Is it nothing much more than a case of striking a tough pose or is there something more?

Is the 'outburst' a symptom of not being satisfied with the Government or was it directed against its political adversary, the Congress in this case ?

What makes the observation of Awangbow Newmai all that more interesting is the point that it came after the NPF held a meeting to deliberate on the political scenario in the State ahead of the coming Lok Sabha elections.