Tangkhul orgs point finger on 'ethnic quotient'
Source: Hueiyen News Service / Pamreiso Shimray

Imphal, April 28 2012: In the successive third ministry of Okram Ibobi Singh, there is a sort of record in the making with the Ukhrul district being left out again for the consecutive third time and the Tangkhul bodies have reacted strongly against the latest political affair by raising pertinent questions.

For the reason best known to Congress High Command or should one say Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh, the two Congress MLAs from Ukhrul namely Victor Keishing (Phungyar A/C) and Preshaw Shimray (Chingai A/C) have not been inducted in his Ministry expansion finalized on Saturday evening.

The latest move, intriguing as the trade of politics, has baffled many political watchers.

To add to this, many Ukhrul based social leaders have expressed its angst and questions over the way the political dice is being rolled in the ethnically assertive state.

Tangkhul Shanao Long (TSL) president Sila Konghay asserted that the expansion held today is a proof enough that Ukhrul has always been ignored by "biased" and "communal Ibobi government" .

A prominent Tangkhul social leader, on condition of anonymity, said "Ukhrul deserves a berth...have been denied for two tenures.

Now, didn't our district deserves atleast one?" while adding "It's understandable that in the last tenure we have only independent MLAs " .

Many right thinking citizens in Ukhrul echoed that people may not toe on same political line, but responsible politicians and government must ensure distributive justice to achieve that "common good" .

In the first Ibobi's tenure, A Aza Shimray (Chingai) and Wungnaoshang Keishing (Phungyar) have only made almost halfway as MoS.

TKS president Yangmi Khapai reaffirmed saying, "Ibobi is totally anti-Ukhrul.

Look, how many terms the district has been neglected! Why Ibobi is treating us in this manner?" .

On the ministerial allocation to Senapati and Tamenglong, Yangmi argued that the two districts have always been in the corridor of power.

"This is a ploy Ibobi has been plotting to de-stabilise the Naga's oneness in Manipur," he warned.

In Ukhrul, much conjecture is doing the rounds now.

People wonder whether Ibobi's move is attributive of ethnic quotient or political vendetta.

Analysts wrote off the latter but placed on "ethnic theory".

In more ways than one, there is a common perception that Ukhrul is reckoned as the epicentre of "Naga question" in Manipur.

Indeed, the third Ibobi Ministry has defeated the very element of 'equitable treatment' that he has been vociferously vouching for.

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